Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Dec 17/01) - Six years ago, Inusiq Shoo sat down to make a difference. He was going to run a food bank.

It was a frustrating experience, fraught with stops and starts. Haunted by a lack of success, he was almost ready to concede defeat, but decided to try again this year.

Inusiq Shoo shows off a sample of what the Nunavut Food Bank is looking for. - Nathan VanderKlippe/NNSL photo

"I said to myself, 'I'm not going to give up,' so I said 'OK, we're going to start meeting again,' " Shoo said.

"I remember myself, when I used to go to school and sometimes I used to go empty-handed, with nothing to eat in the house," he said. "Sometimes it was so hard to get food. Somebody mentioned a food bank. I know myself what a food bank is for, and I want to help out other people."

Now, he leads a committee intent on feeding Iqaluit's hungry residents.

"I'm looking for a little bit more donations so we can (feed) those who have no work, no husband or wife," he said.

"Most have kids in the house and they don't know where to get food from. If we can get it out and I can help, I want to be a part of it."

Shoo is calling the initiative the Nunavut Food Bank in hopes of using the structure set up in Iqaluit to help other communities in the territory do the same.

All types of goods -- canned and fresh -- can be dropped off at NorthMart, Arctic Ventures, Quick Stop convenience stores and Wizard's Cafe.