Max Martin has a passion for the Hispanic community that won’t give up and he plans on using it to help.

Martin, Hispanic Community Council president, said he is devoted to helping the Hispanic community thrive and network in the Jamestown and surrounding areas.

“One of my main concerns is there is still a separation in the community,” he said. “My job here is to be a voice of advocacy, and I’m not attached to anything in any way. Anyone who needs my help, I am there for them.”

Martin has opened a new office for the council at the Appleyard Terrace Apartments on Second Street.

He said CODE has graciously provided the space so he can provided needed services to the community.

The Hispanic Community Council is a non-political, non-denominational and non-nationality specific nonprofit organization that offers help in a variety of areas, such as job searching, learning English, translation services, interviewing help, education, and more.

While Martin is the president of the nonprofit, he said there are other board members and volunteers who are continuing the efforts within the Hispanic community.

The group will also be opening a second office at 226 E. Second Street in the near future to help those in need of services gain easy access to the organization.

“Every service is free. I don’t take any salary,” Martin said. “We are a full service nonprofit for Latinos.”

He added that donations are tax exempt, and 100 percent of the donations go out to help the Hispanic community.

Martin said he feels a personal duty to help bring unity and connectedness in the city.

“As a human being, I feel like if I don’t serve the community, who am I?” he said. “What makes us unique is that we are for them. Our goal is to go out there and create bridges.”

He said the next step is to tackle afterschool programming and help involve the entire family unit in it.

“Youth development comes with the whole package. Why not go in and get the family involved?” Martin said. “I’ve been doing that for many years, and it works.”

He said the Hispanic community in Jamestown is not going anywhere they have come here to work toward a better life, which will be beneficial for the entire community.

“You need that influx of new life,” Martin said, adding the Hispanic population in the area is the only one that is currently trending upward.

He said it is also important for the community to realize that Puerto Ricans are not immigrants and they are not foreigners they are American citizens that face a language barrier.

“We have so much to offer, and we want to share,” Martin said.

He said another purpose he has in this venture is to help people outside the Hispanic community understand and experience Hispanic culture.

Once understanding has been reached, he believes the community will be much better off as a whole.

“My goal is to promote Hispanic engagement, and I want people to understand that Hispanic people are not here for the sake of collecting welfare,” Martin said. “They are here to improve their lives, just like the Italians did when they moved here, like the Swedish when they moved here and like the Germans when they moved here – everyone who moved to Jamestown came here for a reason. The Spanish is the next wave.”

Martin said while he has a heart to help the Hispanic community, he will not turn anyone away who is in need of help.

He said there are many events in the works in the future, and he hopes to partner with many other community organizations, businesses and more to bring unity and build connections in the area.

For more information on the council, their services and upcoming events, visit www.myhccc.org or call 499-5622.