Crossroads owner collects supplies, money for SPCA

Hung on the wall of the dining room at Crossroads Bar & Grille is a sign that is simple and relatable: “Life is better when I’m with my cat.”

Crossroads owner Jay Dietershagen knows the value pets can bring to people’s lives. His cat, Jax, has been with him for 10 years. He said Jax has not only been a friend but also his emotional rock throughout the last decade.

Knowing how much Jax has helped him, Dietershagen decided it was time to help future pets at the SPCA of Tompkins County.

Beginning March 1 and ending March 14, Crossroads collected food, toys, towels and money to be donated to the SPCA as part of Dietershagen’s Cookies for Canines campaign.

“I have a cat, and I’m pretty tight with my cat,” Dietershagen said. “I thought that we could do Cookies for Canines and the proceeds could go to the SPCA.”

Dietershagen brought a large bin into his restaurant where customers could drop off supplies they thought the SPCA could use. A miniature wooden doghouse was also placed by the entrance to be used as a bank for cash donations.

This isn’t the first time Dietershagen has used his platform as a restaurant owner to help Lansing and Tompkins County. Roughly a year ago, in the midst of the pandemic, he saw that some people in the community where he grew up were struggling to find basic necessities.

Dietershagen responded by starting a Cookies for Causes initiative (see tinyurl.com/y9okx3mw). In the last year, Crossroads has hosted four clothing and food drives for people in need. Those who donated were rewarded with cookies baked by Dietershagen at the end of the drive.

This year, Dietershagen included four-legged members of the community.

“I’ve always kind of had an altruistic soul and have wanted to do right by people,” he said. “We went through the pandemic and saw people in need, whether it’s food stamps, necessities, toiletries or even a hug or a high-five “

During spring 2021, Crossroads hosted Cookies for Clothing, which accepted clothes in good condition. Donations were given to The Salvation Army.

Last summer, Crossroads accepted donations of canned goods and nonperishable food items. During the fall, it hosted a drive for coats, snow pants, gloves and hats.

Dietershagen also participates in fundraising bike rides throughout the Finger Lakes and up the east coast to support Future Farmers of America in Lansing. He has a GoFundMe page where donations are accepted.

“I think, more or less, what I’m trying to do is to get people to think conscientiously about other people who might be in need a little more,” Dietershagen said. “With gas and food prices going up and inflation, it’s even more appreciated that things are being donated.”

Dietershagen was born and raised in Lansing on Lansing Station Road. He graduated from Lansing High School in 1990. After his time at Lansing, he graduated from Syracuse University. Upon graduating, he lived in Syracuse before moving to New York City.

In 2009, there was a calling to come back home. Crossroads was for sale, and along with his father, John Dietershagen, Jay came back to Tompkins County to run the restaurant.

The goal was to make the restaurant a space where people from the community can gather and enjoy each other’s company. Jay also saw it as a platform that could be used to help people struggling in Lansing and throughout Tompkins County.

“I grew up in this town,” he said. “I know a lot of the older folks. I know a lot of the younger families. I understand and I see there’s always a need, and there’s always people who are struggling. Whether it’s on a physical, emotional or mental level, I’m trying to be aware all the time of how we can be of service.”

Jay estimated that the drive raised more than $200 for the SPCA and brought in numerous bags of cat and dog food and toys, as well as towels and cleaning equipment for the pets’ cages.

He said when he contacted the SPCA about the idea, they were very receptive. While he knows all the problems for Lansing and Tompkins County cannot be solved through one act of charity, Jay said every act, no matter how big or small, helps.

“We’re just trying to do our part to do something different,” he said. “In the grand scheme of things, we’re just trying to move the needle a little bit.”

Jay believes the needle has moved, especially for the animals at the SPCA that will receive food, comfort and toys as winter turns to spring.

He hopes to continue his work with another clothing drive later this year. Jay also hopes that the restaurant will continue to be a place the community can come to for camaraderie but also a place where it can give back.

“Having this forum and the ability to talk to a lot of different people in the confines of the community and beyond through the restaurant and social media channels [has helped] to get people to think about something other than what’s right in front of them, more what their impact on the world is,” Jay said.

Lansing at Large appears every Wednesday in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.