We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Prentice Butler. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Prentice below.

Alright, Prentice thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.

As Executive Director of The Neighborhood Bridge, I lead an organization committed to walking alongside families on Chicago’s West Side—especially in the Austin community—as they navigate barriers to housing, education, health care, and economic stability.

One story that captures our impact involves a woman who was evicted from her home in October 2024. She and her 15-year-old son faced months of housing instability. Through our Advocate Program, we were able to connect her to a partner organization that provided funding for her first month’s rent and security deposit. By March, she and her son had moved into a stable, safe apartment where they could begin rebuilding.

This is the essence of our work—responding to urgent needs while building pathways to long-term stability. Communities like Austin have experienced decades of disinvestment, and we believe that by offering consistent, compassionate support, we can help families move from surviving to thriving.

Prentice, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Prentice Butler, and I currently serve as the Executive Director of The Neighborhood Bridge, a human services nonprofit based in the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side. My journey into public service and community development began with a deep desire to create pathways to equity for underserved communities like the one I grew up in. I’ve spent my career working at the intersection of government, nonprofit leadership, and civic engagement—previously serving as Chief of Staff to a Chicago alderman, and now leading efforts to directly support families through our innovative model.

The Neighborhood Bridge was created to address a fundamental challenge: too many families are falling through the cracks. Whether they’re facing housing instability, food insecurity, mental health needs, or lack of access to employment or childcare, they often don’t know where to turn or how to navigate a fragmented support system. We solve this by pairing families with trained volunteer Advocates—people who walk alongside them, build trust, and help them access the services they need to stabilize and thrive.

Our core services include:
• Advocate Program: A one-on-one support model connecting families to resources such as housing aid, mental health services, legal help, financial coaching, and more.
• Essentials Pantry: Providing basic household goods with dignity—no questions asked.
• Community Resource Navigation: Helping families access long-term services through trusted partnerships.
• School Partnerships: Collaborating with local schools to identify and support students and families facing challenges.

What sets us apart is the emphasis we place on relationship-building—we’re not just a referral source. Our Advocates are trained to listen, to understand a family’s full story, and to support them holistically. That human connection is what allows trust to flourish, and trust is often the missing link in social services.

I’m most proud of the way our organization centers dignity and transformation. One story that stays with me is of a mother and her 15-year-old son who were evicted in October 2024. She came to us overwhelmed and unsure of where to go. Through our network, we helped secure funding for her first month’s rent and security deposit. By March, they had moved into their new apartment. That’s not just a service—that’s a new chapter in someone’s life.

To anyone learning about us for the first time, I want you to know that The Neighborhood Bridge is more than a program—it’s a community of people who care, who show up, and who believe that with the right support, every family has the power to succeed. Our work is about restoring hope, creating access, and building trust.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

At The Neighborhood Bridge, we believe staying connected to the families we serve—and fostering long-term trust—is essential to our impact. We don’t see the individuals we support as one-time clients; we build relationships rooted in dignity, consistency, and care.

To help us do that effectively and at scale, we’ve invested in Salesforce CRM. This platform allows us to track and manage our interactions with families, ensuring that no one falls through the cracks. Through Salesforce, our team and trained volunteer Advocates can document needs, follow up on services provided, and coordinate referrals across our network of partners. It also helps us identify trends, evaluate outcomes, and stay responsive to each family’s evolving situation.

Our Advocates stay in regular touch with families through phone calls, texts, emails, and in-person check-ins, supported by the Salesforce system that keeps everyone aligned. By combining high-touch engagement with high-quality data, we’re able to build strong, lasting relationships and measure our effectiveness along the way.

Brand loyalty, for us, comes from this consistent care—families know they can come back to us, not just for services but for connection, support, and trust. That’s what sets The Neighborhood Bridge apart, and why people continue to refer others to our work.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One moment that illustrates my resilience came in the period following my 2023 aldermanic campaign. After dedicating years to public service—including serving as Chief of Staff to a Chicago alderman—I ran for office because I believed in the power of local leadership to transform communities. Despite running a principled, community-centered campaign, I did not win. It was a deeply reflective time—professionally and personally.

Rather than retreat, I focused on where I could continue to serve meaningfully. That’s when I came across the opportunity to lead The Neighborhood Bridge. The role spoke to everything I value—community engagement, social equity, and systems change. I applied alongside 107 other candidates, knowing how competitive the process would be. I leaned into my experience, my values, and my commitment to underserved communities. After an extensive interview process, I was honored to be selected as Executive Director.

This moment reaffirmed that resilience isn’t just about bouncing back—it’s about moving forward with clarity and purpose. I didn’t create The Neighborhood Bridge, but I was chosen to lead it forward. And every day since, I’ve worked to build trust, grow impact, and help families move from surviving to thriving.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theneighborhoodbridge.org
• Instagram: @prentice.c.butler
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prentice.butler/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prenticebutler/