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But now the council has to vacate its location at Fairfield Square and find a new home. The group is trying to find money for its move, but some worry that if a new home isn't found quickly, day laborers could return to the old practice of congregating chaotically in any open space until someone with a truck comes by to offer work. That situation poses safety hazards and hurts the image of Hilton Head, the council said.
The council -- which provides other services such as tax services and language classes to help Hispanic immigrants acclimate to the area -- is being asked to relocate by Juan Campos, who owns the 2-acre property and the Mi Tierra restaurant.
Campos, who also is chairman of the council's board, is planning to redevelop the shopping center in the next year or two. But since the town is planning to install sewer lines, bury power cables and start a major road project in coming months, Campos said he asked the council to find a new home before the buildings are demolished.
"I don't want the liability of accidents that are prone to happen," he said.
Meanwhile, "we don't have a solution," said Narendra Sharma, a council board member. "The situation is very desperate right now."
Council officials have scrambled in recent months to locate a new home or a temporary gathering spot for the workers. Possible new spots have been located, including one near the Hilton Head Island Airport. But raising the $60,400 needed for relocation is causing concern.
"We don't have a back-up plan," said Luis Bell, the council's executive director.
The council has been applying for grants as well as seeking financial help from various organizations, including the Lowcountry Foundation, church groups and the town. The center is currently funded by grants from local charitable groups and churches, in addition to member contributions.
Despite the financial problems, the council sees the relocation as an opportunity to dramatically expand and improve services.
Instead of calling it a day laborer site, they plan to rename it the "community human resources center" and provide job resources for residents, not just Hispanics. It would also focus on outreach programs such as language instruction and drug and alcohol counseling.
"This will be home for all day laborers and low-wage workers as well, whether they're Hispanic ... or any other ethnic group," Sharma said. "That's the idea behind it: to expand on the services that are provided to these people."
That plan requires even more money -- about $180,000, officials said. The idea is based on Casa de Maryland, a Takoma Park, Md.-based Hispanic services organization that offers classes, vocational training and language lessons in addition to day laborer services. The group's executive director visited Hilton Head two weeks ago to help local leaders mobilize their effort.
Workers like Jesus Martinez know the value of having a stable place to meet for work. When the Latin American Council first took in the day laborers in 2004, it replaced the so-called "field of dreams" across from the Hilton Head Resort where landscape, construction or other employers would come looking for workers every morning.
Martinez, wearing a paint-speckled Reebok windbreaker Wednesday, said the council is a much better location since it provides a warm waiting area and fresh coffee in the morning.
In the field, the jobs went to whomever jumped in the back of the truck first, he said. The council maintains a list and keeps tabs on the employers.
"Definitely it's much better than before," he said through an interpreter. "It was very difficult for many people to go to work because there was no order."
