By Foresee Foundation
You might not know their names. You may not recognize their faces, but tucked behind the Red Cross building on Airport Road three evenings a week, something remarkable is happening.
It’s 6:00pm on a Monday. A few cars roll in quietly. There’s no grand signage; no fanfare – just a small room, folding chairs, and a space where honesty thrives. This is where Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
And on Sunday mornings at 8:30, a circle forms on Guana Bay Beach, waves gently crashing nearby, creating a rhythm for reflection and resolve.
AA on St. Maarten/St. Martin operates almost invisibly, by design. Anonymity is the foundation. But the volunteers behind these meetings are anything but passive. They are fierce in their compassion. Many are in long-term recovery themselves. They’re not counsellors or officials, they're peers – people who have lived through addiction and now offer a lifeline to others.
One volunteer, who insisted we use no names, says, “We’re not about headlines. We’re about hope.”
In a small island society like ours, addiction can feel like a family secret. Everyone knows someone, but no one wants to talk. Yet the impact is all around us – missed workdays, broken homes, silent suffering.
AA meetings offer something quietly radical – a place where people can say, “I’m not okay,” and be met with understanding, not judgment. It begins, simply, with an admission "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol." That’s Step One of the Twelve. It sounds small – it’s anything but. It’s the start of reclaiming a life.
But this isn't just about personal recovery. It’s about community resilience. In island communities where public services can be stretched thin and where stigma runs deep, AA volunteers play a role that’s quietly essential. They help people rebuild lives, reconnect with families, and often prevent the worst.
Want to help? Start by paying attention. Talk about addiction. Support those seeking help. Share the meeting times. You don’t need to know someone with a drinking problem to be part of the solution.
Here’s how:
Meetings at the Red Cross Building (Airport Road)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 6:00 to 7:00pm.
Guana Bay Beach Meeting
Sunday – 8:30 to 9:30am.
Show up. Listen. Encourage. This isn’t about fixing others. It’s about offering presence, patience, and privacy.
In a world obsessed with noise, the AA volunteers on St. Maarten are practicing something rare – the quiet power of showing up for themselves and for others.
