Donor Profile

DONOR PROFILE

Carrie and Kevin Neustadt

Carrie and Kevin with their sons, Jonah and Sammy.

Crossroads’ commitment to service has long resonated with Carrie and Kevin Neustadt, parents to Jonah ’20 and rising 11th grader Sammy. When the boys entered Crossroads six years ago, “We felt a special connection to the School,” said Kevin. Carrie and Kevin quickly began volunteering. “We are going to work hard to build community,” Kevin remembered thinking. “And we’re modeling that for our kids.”

The Neustadts understand that giving back can take many forms. In addition to devoting time as a grade-level representative and admissions volunteer, Carrie has served as a guest improvisation teacher, sharing the expertise she gained as a member of The Goundlings Main Company. She especially enjoys spending time on campus and experiencing the School’s programs firsthand. She reflects, “It’s nice to be there and see what’s going on.”

Meanwhile, Kevin has been co-chair of the 2019 Parent Association Spring Fundraiser, Cabaret; Middle School Parent Association president; and an admission volunteer. He is passionate about his involvement and proud to see more fathers volunteering in recent years. “I made it my personal mission to get more dads involved,” he explained. “When I first started, I was the only one in the room. Having more dads involved begets more dads.”

Following in their parents’ footsteps, both Jonah and Sammy are active members of the Crossroads community. Jonah is a theater kid through and through, recently playing major roles in the Drama Conservatory’s productions of “Oklahoma!” and “Urinetown.” Sammy is a member of the new Crossroads Robotics Team with a passion for photography. Carrie and Kevin are deeply grateful to Crossroads for embracing and nurturing the individuality of their sons.

The Neustadts have also exhibited a commitment to Crossroads through their support of the Crossroads Fund, which enables the School to open doors to educational excellence, hire and retain extraordinary faculty and provide financial aid to one in four students. Kevin said, “Crossroads wasn’t going to be just for our kids—we believe in the mission and the people. We’ve had a wonderful experience here and will continue to show our kids how much we value their education and their School.”

FEATURE STORY

A COMMUNITY STRONGER TOGETHER

One of the cornerstones of Crossroads School is the strength of our community, near and far. These bonds were fully evident in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which left some households facing reduced income, new child care responsibilities or relatives in need of care. Throughout the spring, Crossroads employees, parents, alumni, parents of alumni and grandparents worked to alleviate the strain on fellow community members in several ways:

THE HELP HUB

At the end of March, Parent Association leaders—Max Liszt ’95, Olivia Corwin, Jessica Yi, Debby Zwelling, Colleen Goetz, Sam Jones, Renee Mann and Maisha Chappell—and Crossroads administrators launched the Help Hub on the School’s website. This resource for Crossroads families and employees connected those in need of support with those able to provide it.

The Help Hub received overwhelming support: On average, for every Crossroads family that requested assistance, eight community members offered their services. People who recently lost their jobs received help updating their resumes. Families received grocery deliveries from volunteers.

“As the pandemic sent us into lockdown, we saw that increasing numbers within our community were needing aid," explained Middle School Parent Association President Jessica Yi. "Whether it was financial or help with groceries or child care, we knew that our fellow families would be able to provide the support that was needed. We had such a positive outpouring of generosity of resources, time and love. It was truly a testament to the strength of the Crossroads community.”

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY FUND

Head of School Bob Riddle recognized that many members of the community were coping with unanticipated financial burdens, hindering their ability to pay for basic expenses, including rent and groceries. The School established the Community Emergency Fund for employees as well as Crossroads families receiving financial aid.

A small committee of administrators reviewed each request and allocated support to those most in need. The committee distributed gift cards for groceries, utility bills and general expenses, as well as with aid to cover tuition balances. Thanks to our caring community, the School raised $228,000 for the fund between March 31 and June 31, 2020. Posed with many uncertainties for the coming academic year, the School anticipates additional need will arise. We are grateful for and remain confident in the community’s enthusiastic support for one another every step of the way.

SPRING EVENT FUNDRAISER

The widespread efforts to lift each other up were also apparent in this year’s K-12 Parent Association Spring Fundraiser. (See story on page 16.) Though unable to hold an in-person event, the Parent Association was determined to create an extraordinary experience in support of the Financial Aid Fund, which benefits one in four students at Crossroads. And their work exceeded all expectations.

Dubbed Rock ’n’ Roads: Couchella 2020, the virtual May 16 event raised critical funds for Financial Aid through its auction and raffle as well as direct donations generously provided by our extended Crossroads family.

Thank you to everyone who pulled together this year to support our Crossroads community!