Grant deadline approaching

Southwest Nebraska’s Habitat for Humanity board receives a $5,000 check from the McCook Community Foundation Fund toward the Habitat’s latest project. Habitat board members include Kent Kotschwar, Matt Tiller (and Joel), Natalie Norbeck, Joan Koch, Clair Hanson, MCFF committee members Andrew Ambriz and Dale Dueland, and Habitat member Kent Been.

Courtesy photo

McCOOK, Neb. – Less than two weeks remain to apply for a community grant from the McCook Community Foundation Fund as part of the 2018 spring cycle.

Southwest Nebraska Habitat for Humanity was a recipient during the 2017 fall grant cycle from MCFF. Habitat received $5,000 toward the group’s latest project, rehabbing a house on West I Street in McCook.

The Habitat’s construction team met with the local building inspector and came up with a viable plan to rehab and improve this house that was donated, said SW Nebraska Habitat president Joan Koch.

Since its creation, the Southwest Nebraska Habitat affiliate has built six new houses and rehabbed one, according to SW Nebraska Habitat president Joan Koch.

“We have five families living in and purchasing Habitat houses,” Joan said. “We own the one completed rehab and must decide that house’s future.”

One of the five houses, built on West Second, was later sold by the Habitat family who owned it because they were moving to another town due to a job change. They used what equity they had in the house to make a down payment on a house where they moved, so that was positive step-forward for the family, Joan said.

“We are striving to partner with people in our community to help them build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage,” Joan said. With financial support like the grant from MCFF, Habitat homeowners achieve the strength, stability and independence they need to build a better life for themselves and for their families, she said.

Improving the quality of life in Southwest Nebraska is what the McCook Community Foundation Fund committee is looking for when choosing grant recipients. The most recent grants from MCFF ranged from toward funding a winch system at the McCook Auditorium to scholarships for adult education.

Since 2003, McCook Community Foundation Fund has provided more than $300,000 to support community organizations and projects. This spring, more than $30,000 will be available for public charities, government entities or other community groups performing charitable activities. The grant application deadline is Sunday, April 1.

McCook Community Foundation Fund, an affiliate of the Nebraska Community Foundation, works to ensure that McCook is a vibrant, inclusive community by investing in innovation, economic and educational opportunities, quality community leadership, cultural arts and healthy families and lifestyles.

McCook Community Foundation Fund will place priority on projects that will have a broad impact on the quality of life for a significant number of people, propose creative ways to address community needs, engage young people in the community or support innovative approaches to economic and community development.

Application forms and additional information are available at www.nebcommfound.org/give/mccook-community-foundation-fund. For additional information or to request an application form, contact Ronda Graff at (308) 340-3412, or mcffund@gmail.com.