Contributed
In a Daughters of the American Revolution Annual meeting, held May 9th, for the Sallie Harrison Chapter (Serving Sanford since 1918), Jill Bolander Cohen, a dedicated community member was honored with a prestigious Community Service Award. This Seminole County resident was recognized for transforming lives across Seminole County and the region.
Jill Bolander Cohen is the founder and CEO of The Lifeboat Project, a Central Florida nonprofit that provides long‑term, trauma‑informed support, housing, and education for survivors of human trafficking.
Here is what those who know her, shared, at this ceremony. Gary Cohen (Co-founder & Treasurer of the Lifeboat Project), tells us, “Jill Cohen never planned to become active in bringing awareness about human trafficking and caring for human trafficking survivors. Her past included being a professional jazz singer, worship leader at church, and vital part of her family’s office coffee service business. God knocked on her door in 2011 and opened up a pathway to take a stand against human trafficking. Over the past 15 years, Jill has led the Lifeboat Project, https://thelifeboatproject.org in Apopka, Florida, developing an app to educate youth and teenagers about human trafficking that received awards at the United Nations. She spearheaded local initiatives to rehabilitate properties to house human trafficking survivors and worked with many organizations to provide education, counseling, and other wraparound services. Jill and her team have presented recently at the United Nations and made many connections with foreign leaders, including the vice president of Guatemala. In the summer of 2025, Jill was part of the Central Florida delegation at the week-long Hungarian Summit in Budapest. This led to connections in the three major cities in Hungary and a working relationship with an organization that deals with human trafficking survivors in Hungary that we also partnered with at the United Nations. Jill’s joy is in helping one human trafficking survivor at a time, whether it is a labor trafficked teenager from China, an upper middle class young lady from upstate New York who got tricked into the human trafficking realm, a gay college student in the Midwest who thought these unspeakable things were just part of the dynamic of that scene, a trafficked mother with children or a young adult lady from Ukraine who was nearly killed by her trafficker, but the Lifeboat Project was able to repatriate her back to her home in Ukraine and to her family. Jill's joy comes in helping one person at a time to regain freedom and, as we are in the 250th celebration of the United States becoming free, this is appropriate and perfect timing for her to continue this amazing work.” Written by Gary Cohen
Jim Palmisano, President CTO/The iServe Company tells us, "It is an immense privilege to write to you today to honor Jill Bolander Cohen. As an organization steeped in the history of fighting for liberty and independence, the Daughters of the American Revolution is the perfect body to honor a woman who has dedicated her life to fighting for the freedom of others. My journey with Jill and The Lifeboat Project began through my work as Vice Chair of The Salvation Army Board. When I was first referred to Jill, I expected to meet a dedicated professional operating in a challenging space. I did not expect to meet a force of nature who would fundamentally alter my perspective on service, leadership, and human resilience. What many do not see from the outside is the heavy, often hidden burden of nonprofit leadership, particularly in a chronically under-resourced field where the stakes are literally life and death. The hours are endless, the resources are fiercely fought for, and the emotional toll is steep. Yet, Jill constantly shields her team with kindness and unrelenting resilience. She fights and fights even when it's hard, and there is a strength there that makes an award like this no surprise. She carries the weight so that others—both her team and the survivors we serve—can find safety, healing, and hope. As we look to the future, the fight is evolving. The Lifeboat Project is actively pivoting to harness the power of technology and education to stay ahead of traffickers and protect the vulnerable. But we cannot do this work alone. Jill's recognition today is a testament to what one woman's revolutionary spirit can achieve, but it is also a call to action for all of us in this room. I urge you to look at Jill's profound example and ask how you can join this vital mission. Be the change; support groups like The Lifeboat Project with your ideas and your treasure. Congratulations, Jill, on this deeply deserved honor. Thank you for being a true champion of freedom. With deepest respect and gratitude, Jim Palmisano. President CTO/The iServe Company.”
