At Crosstown Learning Center, the morning drop-off brings lingering hugs, whispered goodbyes, and brave waves from little hands. Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Nick Oxford captured these small but powerful moments, showing how the Tulsa Area United Way helps Crosstown shape bright futures through its nationally accredited early education program.
Nick’s photographs for United Way Worldwide will shine a light on what makes Crosstown so meaningful, and why Executive Director Kristina Ellis pours her heart into both the center and the United Way. As a former Crosstown kid herself, she brings her full-circle story to life every day.
“I live united because I know that early childcare and development form the foundation of any community,” she said.
Families like Cassandra Terry’s feel that impact every day. Her grandchildren, Sarai and Jackson, attend Crosstown, and she deeply values the center’s support.
“When you find a program that not only helps the children but the families, I think that is the best thing in the world,” she said. “So anything that United Way can do to help Crosstown, I’m all for it.”
Crosstown embraces the whole family. The center serves a diverse, mixed-income community of working parents, students, and alumni across generations. Staff deliver more than 135,000 hours of care to 90 children each year, creating real change, one child at a time. United Way fuels that mission by mobilizing the resources Crosstown needs to help every child thrive.
That partnership doesn’t just support families. It sparks action. Volunteer Theresa Noonan shows up regularly to support classrooms and organize events. She proudly calls herself a “grandma on a mission,” inspired by her three-year-old grandson, Miles, who attends Crosstown.
Theresa doesn’t hesitate to share her message. She sees firsthand how Crosstown, and also Tulsa Area United Way, strengthens the very community her grandson calls home.