Running a business in Capitol Hill means coping with changing dynamics in the great urban experiment that is City Life. As attitudes shift public policies shift with them. Keeping up with those policies and how they affect your business can be a dizzying piece of work. That's where we come in. The Capitol Hill Chamber is here for our members to work through what can be a labyrinth of public policy issues. We are advocates for you, for our members, for Capitol Hill.

That doesn't mean that we'll all agree on what can be very complex public policy issues. Let's take extended Nightlife hours as an example. The Hill has a thriving Nightlife Business, an important economic engine for our neighborhood. As the densest neighborhood in Seattle we also have a heavy residential population within our business districts. These two segments of our Capitol Hill population will not necessarily agree on this issue.

Our job is to make sure that you as business members have access to all of the information surrounding these issues. That could mean public forums, access to elected officials or City Departments, e-blasts about initiatives or proposed legislation, etc, etc.

When there is an issue that our members want us to take a unified position on we have a process in place to do exactly that. We try to be very selective, so that the voice of the Chamber has real meaning when we weigh in on public policy issues. But when our members let us know that we need to take a stand we do it.

The recent Marriage Equality issue in Olympia is a good example of that. We heard clearly from our membership that this was not just a civil rights issue it was also an economic issue and that Capitol Hill's voice needed to be heard loud and clear in supporting Marriage Equality.

We advocate for Capitol Hill. We advocate for the health, well being and economic vitality of this magnificent neighborhood. Don't hesitate to contact us at the Chamber when you or your businesses need to take advantage of that advocacy. It's what we do. It's why we're here.

For nearly forty years, YouthCare has been a leader in helping our community's homeless youth. We provide a continuum of care that gets young people off the streets and preparing for life, with services including outreach and basic needs, emergency shelter and transitional housing, and education and employment training.

In 2011, over 4,500 youth walked through the doors of the James W. Ray Orion Center, located at the corner of Denny and Stewart. Behind those big green doors, we serve three meals a day, offer drop-in hours where young people can get in out of the cold, access a clothing and hygiene bank, laundry and showers, and, often just as important, find someone to talk to about moving off the streets.  

Youth can enroll in case management, reengage with their education by working towards completing a GED or high school diploma, or applying to college. We also offer on-site job training program that help build employment skills and strengthen young people's resumes. At night, the space transforms into a 15-bed shelter for young adults ages 18-24. Four times a week, our outreach team fans out through Capitol Hill, downtown, and into South Seattle to meet young people on the streets, building relationships and meeting basic needs.

Why did you choose to locate your business in Capitol Hill?

YouthCare aims to connect to young people as quickly as possible once they arrive on the street - within hours, they can become victims of violence or be lured into unsafe situations. Locating the Orion Center at the crossroads of Capitol Hill, Downtown, and South Lake Union (all areas well-served by Metro bus lines and regional transit options) allows us to meet young people where they are already congregating to provide services quickly and efficiently.

Tell us one thing about your business that most people don't know.

You probably wouldn't identify most of the youth who use our services as "homeless" - most defy the stereotypes people have about what homeless youth look like. None are on the streets by choice - they are fleeing abuse and dysfunction, or they may have been kicked out when they came out as LGBTQ to their families. More and more, we see youth who say, "My parents just can't afford me anymore."   

Do you have a favorite neighbor business on Capitol Hill? Your favorite place to get...coffee, cocktails, pizza, ice cream, anything fun that you'd like to share.

Group Health is a great partner to YouthCare, they serve meals regularly & sponsor our Annual Luncheon. We're also suckers for a good Top Pot doughnut (plus they regularly donate yummy treats for our young people).

Do you have a Capitol Hill secret? (it can be a place, a building, a park, anything thing on the Hill that you think is special).

The Orion Center kitchen! It's a big, industrial kitchen with an amazing stove, multiple refrigerators, and lots of shiny chrome. The best part about it is the incredible food our volunteer groups whip up in there every day. It means so much to our young people - not just getting a warm meal, but knowing that their community sees them and cares about them enough to come down and make a meal. If you'd like to find out about the magic of the Orion kitchen yourself, volunteer to serve a meal by contacting Randi at meals@youthcare.org.