By Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation
The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation is pleased to welcome El Sol, Jupiter’s Neighborhood Resource Center (El Sol), to our Grantee Blog. El Sol is dedicated to improving the quality of life for the community of Jupiter, Florida, through labor, education, community health, food and nutrition, and youth services for day laborers and their families.
Courtesy of El Sol, Jupiter’s Neighborhood Resource Center
El Sol welcomes our community into a space where dignity, opportunity, and connection thrive. When El Sol was established in 2006, hundreds of day laborers would gather in an informal outdoor market on Jupiter’s Center Street to be picked up for work. Since then, El Sol has created an organized forum where day laborers can find work in a safe, structured environment while also accessing additional support and resources for themselves and their families. Workforce development, food security, and academic support programs are the cornerstones of our mission to help people build brighter futures, one day at a time.
The day begins early at El Sol, where workers in our Labor Program gather to connect with employers or participate in vocational training workshops. These workshops, part of El Sol’s Worker Development Program, equip participants with essential trade skills such as painting, landscaping, and food safety certifications. Reflecting our commitment to ensuring our programs are shaped by those we serve, El Sol established the Workers Council, a client-led initiative that represents clients’ interests, creates family events, and whose president serves on El Sol’s Board of Directors. This ensures that client voices and needs remain at the forefront of our program development.
In our kitchen and garden, the Food and Nutrition Program is almost always in full swing. Volunteers join us to prepare and serve hot breakfasts, pack to-go lunches, and ensure that every individual has nutritious meals to support them throughout the day. Our program aims to address food insecurity and the diet-related diseases many of our clients face to better support their overall health and well-being. In 2014, El Sol established our Sunshine Organic Community Garden, a communal outlet for exercise, educational opportunities, and a source of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.
As the afternoon unfolds, the focus shifts to our community’s future: kids. Children arrive for tutoring and enrichment activities through El Sol’s Youth Development Program. In collaboration with local schools, we offer small-group afterschool and summer activities that support the academic, social, and emotional development of our youngest community members. We also provide a School for Parents, which offers specially designed workshops to address parenting and child development concerns in the community
Every day, the programs we offer and the work we do create meaningful change, providing the skills, nourishment, and support that help our neighbors build brighter futures. However, what truly defines us is the strength of our community; it is in the resilience of workers learning new trades, the bonds formed over shared meals, and the determination of children reaching for their potential that we see the heart of our mission come to life. Feeding hope and nourishing change is not just what we do—it is the spirit of who we are.
About El Sol, Jupiter’s Neighborhood Resource Center
El Sol, Jupiter’s Neighborhood Resource Center works to improve the quality of life for the community of Jupiter by providing labor, education, community health, food and nutrition, and youth services to day laborers and their families. El Sol envisions a harmonious integrated community in which all people can reach their potential. We see Jupiter as a model for other communities.
Learn more about El Sol, Jupiter’s Neighborhood Resource Center at friendsofelsol.org.