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Guest Opinion
When asked what they love about their hometown, do people say, “rigidity?”
What about, “no one invites me to get involved?” Or “we don’t like new ideas?”
None of those are likely responses to that question – thank goodness. Instead, we are more likely to answer we love our community’s tight-knit connections, our creativity, our tenacity, and, most of all, our neighbors.
The next generation of Nebraska leaders understands this deeply. In June, I had the pleasure of attending the first ever Youth Connection Summit in McCook, hosted by a group of amazing, civic-minded high school students.
The group, Youth Change Reaction (YCR), is the youth engagement branch of McCook Community Foundation Fund, the local Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) affiliated fund. Students approached both MCFF and NCF about hosting an event in McCook for their peers across the state.
From the beginning, YCR members led the conversation and held decision-making power. During their planning discussions, they collectively uncovered the invisible asset that brings all communities together: relationships.
In recognition of the ties that bind us to our places, they decided to name their event “Connections Create Community.”
Among the vine-laden brick of Norris Alley, YCR members welcomed students from Bertrand, Columbus, Grant, Howells, O’Neill, Callaway, Spencer and Verdigre. Before a walking tour of downtown McCook, summit guests paired up with a new acquaintance and shared their names, where they were from and one thing they loved about their hometown. In these conversations, a common thread emerged.
Attendees noticed that their conversation partners began their responses talking about their place in terms of physical assets, but quickly shifted the focus to the power that relationships have to charge our spaces with meaning and significance. To quote one YCR member: “connection is the reason we love our communities.”
Those informal conversations informed the rest of the summit. Stories enrich our lives with meaning and purpose; our shared stories imbue our places with value.
A town without stories is hardly a place at all. “Connections create community” resonates deeper than maybe even YCR considered. A building without stories is a collection of neatly stacked bricks; with stories, that same building becomes something more. It becomes a community treasure, a place where people made and continue to make memories. It’s the stage for deeper connections.
When attendees were asked what they love about their hometown, they spoke about tight-knit communities, proximity to family and a feeling of unity.
Many also mentioned that their hometowns are more than buildings. Community shines first because people share their gifts with one another. That’s the special sauce.
It can be intimidating to share our talents with our neighbors. That’s why Nebraska Community Foundation is celebrating “The Year of Invitation” in 2025. We’re encouraging all Nebraskans to invite newcomers to be in community with us. Or to invite someone who left to come back to their hometown. Or invite a young person to get involved. Or invite your friends and neighbors to invest in the future.
Remember, however, that invitation and action should never venture far from one another. Without action, an invitation risks losing meaning. And when an invitation loses its meaning, the invitee loses trust. But when an invitation is fully realized, doors are opened to stronger bonds and bolder ideas. The high school students in YCR were not just invited to sit at a table; they were called to unleash their ideas for their community. The invitation was not performative, and neither is YCR’s work. It’s joyful, hopeful, and fueled by a love for their hometowns.
— Jeff Yost is president and CEO of Nebraska Community Foundation. Learn more about NCF’s work at NebraskaHometoivn.org.
