St. Maarten groups earn second place at Dutch National Volunteer Awards

Two St. Maarten-based organizations, Perpetual Plastics (EPIC) and Freegan Food Foundation, have earned second place at the National Volunteer Awards in the Netherlands, organized by the Association for Volunteering in the Netherlands. The recognition highlights the impactful community and environmental work being carried out on the island. Perpetual Plastics focuses on recycling and reducing plastic waste, while Freegan Food Foundation works to address food insecurity by rescuing surplus food. Their combined efforts earned them a top-three finish among volunteer organizations across the entire Dutch Kingdom. The achievement brings national visibility to grassroots sustainability and social welfare initiatives on St. Maarten. Both organizations expressed pride in the recognition, which underscores the growing strength of volunteer culture on the island.