SINT MARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Two organizations from Sint Maarten: Freegan Food Foundation and Leaders for Change Foundation, have been nominated for the Appeltjes van Oranje 2026, both shortlisted under this year’s theme “Breaking the Cycle of Poverty.”
In a joint statement, the foundations are calling on Sint Maarteners, residents of the Dutch Caribbean, and supporters across the Kingdom to cast their votes and help bring an Appeltje van Oranje home to Sint Maarten for the very first time. In more than two decades of the award, no organization based on Sint Maarten has ever won.
“Two nominations from one island, in one theme, in one year - and still no Appeltje has ever come home to Sint Maarten,” the foundations said in a joint statement. “Our communities know what poverty looks like, and we know what it takes to break the cycle. This is the year to change that.”
About the Appeltjes van Oranje
The Appeltjes van Oranje (“Little Apples of Orange”) are an annual award presented by the Oranje Fonds, the largest social fund in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and patronized by their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.
Since 2003, the award has honored social initiatives in the Netherlands and the Dutch Caribbean that make an exceptional difference in their communities. Each year, three winning organizations receive a bronze sculpture by Princess Beatrix, a financial prize, and lasting national recognition. Although organizations from Sint Maarten have been nominated in previous years, none has ever won. This year, that could change.
This year’s theme: Breaking the cycle of poverty
The 2026 edition focuses on organizations working to break intergenerational and structural poverty. The Oranje Fonds is recognizing initiatives that go beyond emergency relief: projects that restore dignity, build self-reliance, and create durable pathways out of vulnerability. Both Sint Maarten nominees were selected for their distinct, complementary approaches to this mission.
About Freegan Food Foundation
Freegan supports individuals and families in vulnerable situations on Sint Maarten with help that goes far beyond food. At its core is a client-choice food bank where participants choose what they take home, preserving dignity and autonomy.
Around that foundation, coaches walk alongside participants on personal challenges such as finances, administration, and access to services. Combined with courses and opportunities to participate, this approach addresses the underlying causes of poverty rather than only its symptoms, helping people move from dependency toward stability, self-reliance, and meaningful participation in society.
“We are building dignity, trust, and a community where people can take part again,” said a spokesperson for Freegan Food Foundation. “This nomination is recognition for every participant who walked through our doors and chose to keep moving forward.”
About Leaders for Change Foundation
Leaders for Change Foundation works to meet the diverse needs of vulnerable people through a holistic approach combining humanitarian aid, livelihood skills development, disaster preparedness, advocacy, and partnerships.
The foundation delivers essential resources: food, clean water, shelter, healthcare, when disaster strikes, and invests in vocational training and education so individuals can build sustainable, independent lives. By strengthening community resilience and championing the rights of vulnerable populations, Leaders for Change tackles poverty at its roots and helps Sint Maarten stand stronger against the shocks that deepen it.
“Resilience is not built in a single moment, it is built every day, with every family we walk beside,” said a spokesperson for Leaders for Change Foundation. “To see Sint Maarten represented twice in this nomination is a powerful signal that our island is ready to lead.”
How to vote
The public vote is a decisive part of the Appeltjes van Oranje selection process. Anyone in Sint Maarten, the wider Kingdom, and abroad can cast a vote, free of charge, in just a few minutes.
Vote here for Freegan:
https://www.appeltjevanoranje.nl/projecten/freegan-food-foundation
Vote here for Leaders for Change:
https://www.appeltjevanoranje.nl/projecten/leaders-change
Voting deadline: May 27
Every vote counts. The foundations are urging the Sint Maarten community, schools, churches, businesses, and civil organizations, to vote and to share the link widely. Bringing an Appeltje van Oranje home to Sint Maarten for the first time would be a milestone for the island and a recognition of the people who, every day, refuse to accept poverty as a fixed condition.
A First for Sint Maarten
More than two decades after the Appeltjes van Oranje were first awarded, no initiative from Sint Maarten has ever brought the award home. With two nominees on the shortlist and a theme that speaks directly to Sint Maarten’s lived reality, 2026 offers a historic opportunity. Freegan Food Foundation and Leaders for Change Foundation invite the public to make that history happen: with a single click.
https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=65567:two-sint-maarten-foundations-nominated-for-the-appeltjes-van-oranje-2026-voting-is-now-open&Itemid=450
