Inuvik (Dec 05/03) - At perhaps the most crucial time of the year, stock at the Inuvik Food Bank is at critical levels.

Doug Robertson, Inuvik Food Bank chairperson in front of the organization's not-so-plentiful shelves.

Food bank chairperson Doug Robertson says that over the past three weeks the bank has had trouble keeping the doors open as it has been low on food.

"The bottom line is that the demand has been much greater than anticipated," he said. "We're hoping to get more donations with the run up to Christmas, definitely."

Opened in August, the food bank shares a building with 90 North Construction and Inuvik Works Project, which donated the space. Currently, the bank has 120 registrations and Robertson estimates that these represent approximately 300 people in Inuvik.

Those individuals and families who have registered are able to visit the food bank every fortnight for a supplement to their own groceries. It is estimated that the food bank gives out 80 bags of groceries each week.

"We want to make sure people realize that it's for emergencies and stress this nature of the bank," added Robertson.

Word of people abusing the service by selling or trading food items accepted from the bank is something else troubling Robertson.

"Everyone who registers agrees not to sell or barter any of the food they get from us and this will not be tolerated," he said.

"I do think it's a very small percentage of clients but it tends to be talked about an awful lot."

When asked if he thought the food bank created a dependence in the community, Robertson said he believes that prior to opening, there were many people in town who were not eating as well as they should.

"The food bank is serving about 300 people in Inuvik," he said. "That's 10 per cent of the population."