Stromsburg Mayor Ken Everingham discuses the challenges facing the nursing homes and how it affects the Midwest Covenant Home.-
Osceola held their “Christmas in Downtown” last Tuesday evening. Visiting Santa was Atleigh daughter of Nick and Taylor Boruch.
’There is no power for change greater than a COMMUNITY discovering what it cares about.’ - MJ Wheatley
“It’s right here, right under our noses in Stromsburg, … it’s a gem.” The pockets of a worn and sturdy Snap-On coat get filled with the weathered hands of Ken Everingham.
The wind cuts through naked oak branches above and swirls in and out of low lying nooks and crannies. Crunchy leaves are stirred out of their hiding places pushing them reluctantly across the blacktop of Ninth Street, it’s a frigid red-carpet roll-out to the predicted, inaugural snowfall this afternoon. “We need to do what we can to keep this gem and not lose it.” Everingham implores his statement into the cold air. “Midwest Covenant Home stands out among rural nursing homes and the ripple effect, if we were to lose it, it wouldn’t just be felt in the MCH community, it would be felt city and county-wide.”
Midwest Covenant Home, Polk County Nebraska’s largest employer, is in the middle of a $3.5 million dollar Capital Campaign. A campaign that was initiated by a state-of-the art remodeling project and subsequently became complicated with the collision of demising mandates, regulations and the fall-out of healthcare-wide nursing staff shortages.
1947 was the beginning. 2020 was significantly brutal. 2021 carried the bitter taste of 2020 with a slight taste of hope. 2022 is just around the corner with a 75th Anniversary anxiously waiting in the batter’s box.
“I just want people to think about and understand what Midwest Covenant Home means not only to Stromsburg, but to the communities around us. It’s not just the place that our elderly go to live out their final years - if we lost (the Home) the implications would be devastating.” Everingham, nearly to his 12th year as Mayor, goes on to talk about his wife’s grandmother, both of his parents and in-laws who became a part of the MCH family in their final years.
“As the largest employer of Polk County, the sheer loss of employment would be an obvious hit. But that also means, loss of revenue spent within the town.”
The ripple effect if MCH were to ever be lost would carry out of the North east corner of Stromsburg and into the business district. “It would be hard to find anyone from Stromsburg who hasn’t or isn’t directly impacted by or connected to (the Home).” The small-town doctors, the pharmacy, the grocery store, the boutiques, car and hardware store. Lost wages locally means lost revenue locally. It’s a full circle.
“MCH is the largest consumer of utilities for Stromsburg,” Everingham goes on. “Operating costs for utilities are pretty consistent regardless of consumers - the loss of revenue from MCH could potentially mean it would increase everyone’s rates. Again, the potential consequences are not something to take lightly.”
“I know we can all come together and do what we can, not just those that call this place ‘home’ but for the future of our small-town communities.”
To learn more about the Capital Campaign, current standings and how you can be a part of the future, please plan on attending one of the upcoming Community Informational Meetings (one to be announced for January) or reach out to Foundation Coordinator, Erin Dickey: erin@midwestcovenanthome.org,
Midwest Covenant Home Foundation, BOX 342, Stromsburg, NE 68666, (402) 764-2252
