PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation recently brought relief and compassion to inmates and staff at the Point Blanche Prison, delivering food supplies and messages of hope in response to worsening conditions at the facility.
On October 7, 2025, eight volunteers from Tzu Chi, four community volunteers - three training commissioners and one commissioner - transported and distributed hundreds of food packages to the prison, acting on reports of overcrowding, stress, and unsafe conditions that have persisted since Hurricane Irma severely damaged the facility in 2017.
“We knew the situation had become dire, and we couldn’t stand by,” said Tzu Chi Commissioner Sandra Cheung. “Even when walls separate us, love and compassion must still find a way in.”
The prison’s structural damage has remained largely unaddressed, and with new construction still pending, conditions worsened further during the COVID-19 pandemic. After re-establishing contact with the prison, the foundation decided to help.
Each package donated contained rice, cooking oil, pasta, and dry peas. In total 150 bags of rice, 150 bottles of cooking oil, 300 packs of pasta and 300 packs of dried peas were donated. The donation is sufficient to assist 80 families of inmates, while the remaining sets were to be distributed to the kitchen and low-income staff members.
Volunteers arrived in two trucks at 11:30am and neatly arranged the goods, where they were met by a Prison Officer, who expressed heartfelt thanks for the gesture. Two inmate representatives — one male and one female — accepted the donations on behalf of all inmates. “It’s normal for people to forget us while we are incarcerated,” the male inmate said. “But thanks to the Tzu Chi family, we are never forgotten.”
The female inmate also thanked Tzu Chi on behalf of the women inmates and promised to share the message of love and care with others.
During the visit, volunteers shared words of encouragement and hope. Sister Lorene from Jamaica and Sister Natacha from St. Lucia spoke about how Tzu Chi transformed their lives through compassion and service. Brothers Jermine and Marlon also shared their gratitude for the opportunity to help the community, with Marlon saying his goal was to “serve those who are hungry and in need.”
Cheung encouraged the inmates to stay strong, reminding them that “life is full of challenges, but every positive change — no matter how small — can bring peace to your heart.” She then led volunteers in a heartfelt sign-language performance of “One More Candle to the Light,” followed by another song about kindness and giving. The simple, unaccompanied singing filled the room, leaving many inmates visibly moved.
The Prison Officer expressed appreciation on behalf of the prison staff, saying they were grateful for Tzu Chi’s care and hoped the collaboration would continue.
Cheung said the experience reinforced Tzu Chi’s mission of compassion in action. “We don’t just bring supplies — we bring human connection,” she said. “That’s where true healing begins.”
