What We Do
The Neighborhood Bridge currently has two programs that help connect Austin families to the services they need to thrive: the Advocate Program and the Essentials Pantry. A third program of adult education classes will roll out in early 2026.
A particular focus is on serving families of students from the Austin neighborhood attending our partner schools: St. Catherine-St. Lucy, St. Angela, Chicago Jesuit Academy, Catalyst Circle Rock, and Christ the King College Preparatory School.
Advocate Program
The Advocate Program is designed to support individuals and families by pairing them with trained volunteers, known as Advocates, for partner problem-solving in navigating and accessing essential services. Launched in March of 2025, some early wins include recruiting 25 diverse, trained volunteer leaders. The training program consists of three sessions totaling seven hours, focusing on skill acquisition and community building. The process begins when partner school administrators refer participants to the Executive Director. Following the referral, an intake process begins, and support is provided. Advocates and participants meet for six 1-hour sessions over a 6-10 week period.
Learn more about the Advocate program by checking out this blog post about the program and reading this interview with three of our newest volunteer Advocates.
Essentials Pantry
Developed from a needs-based survey of school families, the Essentials Pantry aims to provide necessary household items to support daily living, such as toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, and cleaning supplies. Most of these items are not covered by basic needs programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other basic needs programs.
Launched in August 2025, the buildout of the space on the lower level of the Bridge Center was done entirely by volunteers and was completed on June 1, 2025. Wintrust Financial has graciously contributed significant funds to underwrite the initial costs of items for the pantry. School families can place an order with TNB and receive the items at their home school, ensuring dignity and efficiency in the process.
Learn more about the Essentials Pantry and how it works in this blog post.
Adult Education
TNB plans to offer learning opportunities suggested by school parents, such as household budgeting, computer competence, and communication skills. This initiative will be launched in early 2026, and will be housed in the classroom space on the lower level of the Bridge Center.