A quiet, year-long collaboration between Glen Cove Mayor Thomas Suozzi, La Fuerza Unida de Glen Cove, Catholic Charities, the Long Island Community Foundation and several religious organizations has brought to fruition a new, indoor and permanent gathering place for day laborers in Glen Cove. The space has been donated by Rich Mohring and is located just off Sea Cliff Avenue, a heavily traveled thoroughfare in an industrial/residential neighborhood. The Glen Cove Opportunity Center was made official on June 25 as Mayor Thomas Suozzi said, "There are two sides to the day laborer issue-one side is passionate to get them out of here and the other side wants to work to help them because they are immigrants just as their ancestors were." As other communities on Long Island have either closed their gathering spots for day laborers or refused to assist them, Glen Cove has taken a dramatic step toward a model facility. The opportunity center was made possible by a $65,000 grant from the Glen Cove Community Development Agency, (used by La Fuerza to rehabilitate the site), and $20,000 from the Long Island Community Foundation and Catholic Charities which will be used to pay full time personnel. After the five years of the donated lease for the space, the contract states La Fuerza can rent the site for another five years at fair market value. Workers who come to the center fill out an application and are given a photo identification card. After July 11, only day laborers with these cards will be allowed at the site. This concept is a mutual agreement between the day workers, La Fuerza and the city. So far, between 30 and 40 men show up daily looking for work; half of them are successful.

Over the past 15 years, the City of Glen Cove has seen an influx of Central and South American newcomers espousing every immigrant's dream of a better life in this country. Most of the newcomers, documented and undocumented, are men fleeing poverty and/or political persecution in their native countries. Initially, the men seeking employment, (who became known as day laborers), gathered in front of a deli on Cedar Swamp Road waiting for landscapers and contractors in the various construction trades to hire them. Some of the men opted not to stay on the deli property and would wait along the sidewalks of the neighborhood behind it. Residents began to complain about that situation saying the men were drinking alcohol in public, harassing women and urinating outdoors. Another situation created by the number of day laborers in Glen Cove was the proliferation of illegal housing instances wherein landlords would rent as little room as possible to as many people as possible to make the most profit possible. A pivotal point in the history of day laborers in the city was the tragic death of two homeless men rendered so because they were unemployed and faced other social problems. It became apparent to city officials that something had to be done and it had to be done with dignity.

When Mayor Thomas Suozzi first took office in 1994, his administration launched a forum to tackle the issues faced by day laborers and Glen Cove residents. After soliciting input from the community and with the cooperation of La Fuerza Unida de Glen Cove, a Hispanic outreach agency which provides a myriad of services to the community, a largely outdoor shapeup center was opened on city property adjacent to a soccer field and LIRR train station. Paperwork and services were offered in a trailer on the site and the city's code enforcers would patrol there regularly. However, the search for a permanent, indoor location continued.

"All men and women are created equal and all men and women are equal under the eyes of the law," said Mayor Suozzi during the opening of the opportunity center. "Our approach is two-pronged. We are committed to assisting the workers with assimilating into the community by providing a place for them to gather, learn skills, English and gain employment. We will continue to deal firmly and expeditiously with any lack of respect for the law." Day laborers who come to the center are questioned as to their skills and matched with employers. La Fuerza Unida personnel register the license plates of employers ensuring a vehicle to track down those who chose not to pay the workers. Men who are not picked up for work can stay at the center for English classes and training programs. It is the hope of Pat Blanco, the executive director of La Fuerza Unida de Glen Cove, that computer classes and lessons in business will be available at the center in the near future.