Iqaluit (Dec 04/06) - They help the hungry, and are about to become homeless themselves.

The Niqinik Nuatsivik Food Bank is being evicted from its Iqaluit location, and its volunteers have no idea what they are going to do.

"We have no options right now," said Jen Hayward, food bank spokesperson.

Every year, the food bank holds its "Stuff-A-Bus" foodraiser. The volunteers park a bus in front of Northmart and try to have customers fill it with groceries.

This year's event, scheduled for Dec. 9, has been cancelled, because there's nowhere to store the food.

"We are not sure what to do, we've put it on hold. Right now we are sitting back," said Hayward.

The food bank holds no ill will toward its landlord, the Qikitaaluk Corporation (QC). The corporation gave the volunteers a rent-free space, but the building has been condemned.

"Their insurance won't cover us being there," said Hayward.

This is the second time the food bank has fled a condemned building. The first one was the old iglu building across from Northmart.

There couldn't be a worse time to shut down. Christmas is always a busy season for the food bank, and its $40,000 sealift order just arrived.

RCMP are letting the food bank use their airplane hangar to store the food, but with nowhere to distribute it, that could be the end of the food bank.

"If we have to shutdown, we will have one last opening and give out as much of the food as we can, and then we will give it to other food banks in the territory," said Hayward.

While down, the food bank is not out. Its volunteers are looking for a new location, and hope to find one before Dec. 31.

Niqinik Nuatsivik Nunavut Food Bank services 125 Iqalummiut every two weeks.