The Youth Connection Joins MasonEDC Membership!

Mason County, WA – April 6, 2026 – What originally began as the Shelton Family Center has evolved to meet a very specific need here in Mason County, supporting local youth ages 12 to 24 through real life challenges that too often go unseen.

Co Founder and now Executive Director Susan Kirchoff sat down with MasonEDC to share where The Youth Connection came from and where it is heading.

Susan’s story is deeply personal. Growing up in a dysfunctional home, her family experienced homelessness early on. After graduating at 17, she was kicked out and spent the next six months without stable housing. She remembers being just 12 years old and wishing for a safe place to go where she could simply be a kid, something she rarely had between caring for siblings and responsibilities at home.

That experience never left her.

Years later, that same need became the foundation for The Youth Connection. Susan describes starting the organization as something she felt called to do. With encouragement from her close friend Maudi, the two worked side by side for two years without pay, building what would become a critical support system for youth in Mason County.

The program officially began in 2018 and moved into its first building in 2019. Early on, the focus was on young families, often described as “babies having babies,” with an emphasis on prevention and keeping families together. But while operating an after school program within the school system, a deeper need became clear. Nearly 50 percent of participating youth were couch surfing or living in their cars.

That realization shifted everything.

Today, The Youth Connection serves youth ages 12 to 24, with housing support focused on ages 18 to 24. Youth under 18 are referred to appropriate resources, with plans to expand those services in the coming years. What makes TYC unique is that all 17 staff members bring lived experience with adversity, creating a level of trust and understanding that is hard to replicate.

Like many grassroots efforts, the early years were not easy. Susan committed to the work without pay while learning how to find and write grants from scratch. One of their first major breakthroughs came through the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, a federal grant designed to better understand rural youth homelessness. At the time, the organization was less than a year old. Mason County provided a $15,000 match, helping make that opportunity possible.

Support from partners like Building Changes, the Washington Family Fund, and the Department of Commerce helped the organization grow. Susan hired her first employee before ever paying herself, and that employee is still with the organization today.

COVID ultimately became a turning point. As housing related funding became available, The Youth Connection expanded into five offsite emergency shelter homes for young adults, growing beyond its original outreach model.

Today, the drop in center offers a wide range of services with no barriers to entry, including clothing, hygiene, life skills training, document assistance, intensive case management, emergency shelter, eviction prevention, and rental assistance. It is a space designed to meet youth exactly where they are and provide real world guidance, something many have never had.

Looking ahead, The Youth Connection is preparing for a major remodel of its current building, with hopes to break ground this summer. During construction, services will temporarily operate out of their Belfair location and across the street from their current building. Once complete, the updated space will include 12 transitional housing units, a commercial kitchen to expand life skills programming, and dedicated space for showers, laundry, and support services. One of the existing shelter homes will also transition into housing for youth under 18.

At its core, The Youth Connection is about breaking cycles and raising the next generation. It is about giving young people a space to explore their future with someone in their corner.

That same mindset is what led The Youth Connection to join MasonEDC. Their work directly contributes to community resilience, workforce development, and long term economic stability. When young people are supported, the entire community benefits.

We are proud to welcome The Youth Connection as a MasonEDC member and look forward to partnering together to build a stronger Mason County.