By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
When Empowering Youth & Families Outreach (EYFO) opened its doors in 2001, the organization had no building, no operating budget and no paid staff. But what founders Charlotte and John Shoecraft did have was a vision that every child deserved a safe place to learn, grow and succeed.
Operating on a budget of exactly zero dollars, the Shoecrafts built what they often described as a “traveling” organization, partnering with churches including Holly Park Community Church, Skyway United Methodist Church and Dunlap Baptist Church to provide after-school tutoring, literacy camps and positive activities for young people throughout South Seattle.
Twenty-five years later, that grassroots effort has grown into one of the region’s most respected youth-serving organizations. Readers of The Seattle Medium named Empowering Youth & Families Outreach the winner of the Best Youth Organization (Non-Athletic) and Best Mentorship Program categories in the inaugural Best of the Best Northwest Readers’ Choice Awards. The organization also earned runner-up honors in the Best Nonprofit Organization (Small) and Best Kids Summer Program categories, reflecting its broad impact on children and families throughout the community.
What began as a small after-school program has evolved into a comprehensive cradle-to-career model serving hundreds of families each year while helping young people succeed academically, professionally and personally.
The results speak for themselves. EYFO boasts a 100% high school graduation rate among program participants, a 95% college graduation rate and a 65% alumni return rate, with former participants returning to volunteer, mentor or work for the organization.
For the Shoecrafts, however, those numbers represent far more than statistics. They represent young people whose lives have been transformed through consistent mentorship, educational support and opportunities that extend well beyond the classroom.
One of the organization’s most significant milestones came in 2024 with the opening of its permanent 11,000-square-foot facility in Rainier Valley along Rainier Avenue South between Rose and Kenyon streets.
For an organization that spent more than two decades operating wherever space was available, the building represents far more than bricks and mortar. It symbolizes 25 years of perseverance, community support and an unwavering commitment to South Seattle’s youth.
“Brick and mortar has enhanced our program immeasurably,” said co-founder John Shoecraft. “We’re in one location, there’s continuity. It brings more flow and makes it easier for the parents. They know exactly where the kids are going to be, they know what to expect. Brick and mortar just centralizes everything.”
Today, the facility serves as the hub for a wide range of programs designed to support children and families at every stage of development. Creative Minds Preschool serves 31 children each day, while the organization’s Play and Learn program has already connected more than 150 families with early learning opportunities this year. Older students participate in after-school enrichment programs focused on STEM, arts, dance and golf, while others prepare for college through SAT preparation, essay writing, FAFSA assistance and monthly career readiness workshops. The organization also operates entrepreneurship and CEO development programs for young adults and a community diaper bank that has distributed free diapers to more than 1,000 families this year.
Building an organization capable of serving more than 750 families annually did not happen overnight.
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For the first 10 years, neither Charlotte nor John Shoecraft took a salary, choosing instead to invest every available resource back into the young people and families they served. John continued working another job while the couple devoted evenings, weekends and their own financial resources to building the organization.
“Funding is number one,” Charlotte Shoecraft said when reflecting on the organization’s biggest challenges. “There’s not always going to be that funding. And in the climate we’re in, we’re in a really funny climate right now where there’s a lack of trust, especially with King County, looking at Black organizations as if the funds we receive aren’t used for what they’re given for.”
Despite those challenges, EYFO has remained resilient, raising more than $2 million in scholarship support over the years while awarding between $2,000 and $5,000 annually to students pursuing higher education.
For the Shoecrafts, the organization’s success has always been rooted in its mission rather than its size.
“Our program is faith-based. We instill moral values and ethics into the kids’ lives using biblical principles,” Charlotte Shoecraft said. “We’re a preventative program. Everything that we’re offering the community will definitely prevent our kids from ending up in a gang, from ending up shot on the street. We purposely developed a program for Black folks, but we accept everybody.”
As Seattle’s demographics have changed, EYFO has evolved alongside the community while remaining committed to meeting young people where they are.
“The challenges now are that we take whoever comes,” John Shoecraft said. “Sometimes the community looks just like us, but sometimes it looks very different. It looks like Seattle Public Schools. There’s a wide mixture of kids. The challenges are making sure we have staffing that can meet the needs of each and every one of the children. Sometimes that means bilingual staff. Our main thing is to meet the kids where they are.”
During the summer months, EYFO expands to a staff of 27, including many former participants who return to mentor the next generation. That combination of experienced educators, community mentors and program alumni allows the organization to serve children with diverse educational and developmental needs while maintaining the family-centered culture that has defined EYFO since its founding.
For the Shoecrafts, the Best of the Best recognition represents more than an award. It reflects the trust they have built with generations of Seattle families.
“I feel really good about it,” Charlotte Shoecraft said. “I feel good to know that the community actually recognizes the work that we do and understands the relationships that we work really hard to build and sustain.”
Looking ahead, EYFO hopes to expand beyond its cradle-to-career model into what the Shoecrafts describe as a cradle-to-senior approach, strengthening relationships across generations while continuing to serve as a community anchor in South Seattle.
Charlotte Shoecraft believes the mission remains just as important today as it was when the organization first opened its doors.
“Keep your kids engaged into something that is positive, that’s going to lift them up, and stay engaged with your children,” she said. “Don’t let your kid become a latchkey kid. Find a space where they can build connection, where they can build relationships, where they can be mentored, lifted up, and encouraged.”
For 25 years, Empowering Youth & Families Outreach has demonstrated that transforming a community doesn’t begin with a large budget or a permanent building. It begins with people willing to invest in young lives. What started with zero dollars and a vision has grown into an organization that continues to create opportunity for children and families, and its greatest success is measured not by the programs it offers or the building it occupies, but by the generations of young people it has inspired, supported and prepared for brighter futures.
To see the full list of winners visit bestofthebestnw.com
