The road trip continues.

Citi Community Development's Ruth Christopherson, George Wright and Ashley Thompson set out recently on a road trip to visit our non-profit partners and grant recipients across South Dakota. The journey covered 1,000 miles in three days. Here is Part Two of their story:

There were storms and severe weather during our first overnight, but we awoke to beautiful sunshine on Thursday, day two of our journey. We went to Rapid City to visit our nonprofit partner Oweesta, which runs a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that helps native people develop assets and establish economic independence. We had a terrific conversation and were impressed by the degree to which the organization is collaborating with other Native American non-profits to amplify our impact across the state.

Also in Rapid City, we visited Youth and Family Services (YFS), which provides much-needed support for children and families in Western South Dakota. About half of their clients are Native American. It was very moving to learn about how their programs are helping. They understand that economic empowerment includes financial education, and that the earlier this begins, the better.

YFS is fighting a strong fight against generational poverty and expands its impact by collaborating with other agencies in the community. Our visit was enhanced by the laughter of children who have benefited from YFS' work, and we left with that wonderful, happy sound in our ears, feeling lucky to have felt firsthand the passion and enthusiasm of YFS's staff.

George had to return to Chicago at this point. We (Ruth and Ashley) continued on, with a stop at Mt. Rushmore, near Rapid City. What an incredible monument! It's an awesome display of one man's artistry and triumph, and it was a source of pride to remember that Citi played a role in helping to maintain Mt. Rushmore by contributing $500,000 to support its restoration.

We went for dinner in Hill City, the Heart of the Black Hills, at a popular local restaurant with two menu items: large steak and small steak. After a long day, we were ready for both...but, as we were about to sit down (after an hour-long wait) the whole community lost power! We were disappointed, but soldiered on, back into the car and down the road to a small inn where we were served as if we were the only patrons for dinner. (Actually, we were.)