SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) – At FREEGAN foundation, helping the community starts with something surprisingly simple: listening to the people we serve.
Approximately six times a year, FREEGAN organizes focus group meetings, inviting community members to share their experiences, needs, concerns, and ideas. The goal is simple but essential: to make sure the foundation’s programs reflect what people actually need, rather than what others assume they need.
“We can spend hours preparing nutritious meals because we believe that’s what people need. But what if their biggest concern is something completely different? The only way to find out is to ask, and more importantly, to really listen.”
Today’s focus group brought together 15 community members from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole speakers all participated, with dedicated translators ensuring that everyone had an equal opportunity to express themselves.
The meeting was facilitated by FREEGAN’s in-house psychologist Caroline van Oost, together with community coaches Esther and Dorian. Their warm and welcoming approach created an atmosphere where participants felt comfortable speaking openly, sharing personal experiences, and contributing ideas.
And while the conversations addressed important subjects, there was also plenty of laughter, connection, and genuine enjoyment.
Not just helping people, but listening to them
For FREEGAN, these meetings are about much more than gathering feedback. They are about dignity, participation, and recognizing that the people receiving support are also the people best equipped to explain what meaningful support looks like.
Too often, charitable organizations design programs based on assumptions about the communities they serve. FREEGAN believes that community members should have a voice in shaping the services intended to improve their lives.
Whether it concerns food assistance, emotional support, education, social activities, or simply having a place where people feel welcome, the foundation wants its decisions to be guided by real experiences.
Today’s meeting was another wonderful example of what happens when people are given the time, space, and encouragement to be heard.
FREEGAN extends its heartfelt gratitude to all 15 participants for their openness and valuable contributions, to the translators who made meaningful communication possible, and to Caroline, Esther, and Dorian for their compassionate guidance.
Because real community support isn’t just about what we give. It’s about how well we listen.
And sometimes, the most valuable thing we can offer someone isn’t a meal, a bag of groceries, or practical assistance.
It’s a chair at the table, a listening ear, and the knowledge that their voice truly matters.
