Rural America Initiatives (RAI) in Rapid City, South Dakota, has announced a $1 million gift from the John T. Vucurevich Foundation in support of its $4 million campaign to expand services.

RAI, which serves low-income Native American families through Head Start and Early Head Start programs, as well as through mentoring programs in Rapid City schools, aims to add four classrooms to its early childhood education building. The expansion will enable RAI to serve 80 additional at-risk, poverty-level, and low-income children. With the foundation’s gift, RAI has raised nearly half its campaign goal.

“The John T. Vucurevich Foundation has been such a generous community partner and advocate for at-risk children and families like ours, and we are so grateful for their vote of confidence in our work, and for their support,” said RAI executive director Bruce Long Fox. “We could not realize this vision without their support, and we are deeply thankful.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Fat Camera)