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    NNSL Photo/Graphic

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    Inuvik food bank calls for volunteers

    Dez Loreen
    Northern News Services
    Published Thursday, September 11, 2008

    INUVIK - The Inuvik Food Bank is in need of people to help run the service and sit on the board of directors.

    Vice chair Bob Mumford is calling for members of the community to step up and help get food to those in need.

    NNSL Photo/Graphic

    Food bank vice chair Bob Mumford is calling on the community to help the food bank through the winter season. The organization is looking for volunteers to work shifts at the food bank as well as people to sit on the board. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

    Mumford said the food bank has suffered a major loss this past summer, with three of the six board members leaving town.

    "We've lost half of our board in the last three months, which left me sort of in charge of things," he said.

    Mumford has already sent out requests to people on the food bank mailing list to look for interested people.

    "I haven't gotten a response yet from the e-mail list," he said.

    He added that the volunteer e-mail list that he sent the message out to needs updating.

    "Our e-mail list is in tatters right now anyways," he said.

    Mumford said the food bank needs people to work shifts while the service is open to the public Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m.

    Last Wednesday morning, Mumford said he waited for a response from anyone who could work that night's shift with him.

    "I couldn't find anyone so I went myself," he said.

    "Luckily another board member who was still in town came and helped me out."

    This was the first time that Mumford had worked a shift at the food bank.

    "I had been there before, but never when they were handing out the food," he said.

    Mumford said his time on Wednesday night was an enjoyable experience.

    "It was a beautiful evening, the door was open and people came in," he said.

    Mumford said the shift is only two hours long and once a week. "It's not that long, it's easy," he said. "It's a simple and non-time-consuming way to give back to the community."

    The vice chair added that the job is a "feel-good" sort of activity.

    In another effort to get more volunteers, Mumford sent out another e-mail, this time to the Aurora College staff members.

    "I got a response back from a fellow staff member who wants to help," he said.

    He said his goal is to get 20 people on the volunteer list who wouldn't mind giving a few hours to the cause.

    "If we had enough people, you'd only be on shift once a month or less," he said.

    "There are some who want to do it more than that, which is also fine."

    Aside from working shifts, Mumford said it's important the food bank replace the three board members that left town this summer.

    "We would want at least three people who want to be involved at that level," he said. "We only meet once a month."

    Fundraising is another of the food bank's challenges.

    Mumford said he hopes to have wooden boxes for donations put in most stores in town.

    Another initiative is the scan-card donation system at Arctic Foods. Mumford said he approached manager Eddie Lavoie about putting a donation card at the cash registers of the store. Lavoie said it took some time, but the system for donating has now been in place for two months. Lavoie said the $2 donation is completely voluntary.

    "We don't ask the people for a donation, the card is there in sight and we have a sign posted in the store.

    "We have a lot of people who do give to the food bank through the card, but I think more people need to be made aware of it."

    Lavoie said the card is scanned just like a regular food item, with a UPC bar-code.

    "People can re-scan it as many times as they want in a purchase."

    Lavoie said he is confident in the success of the card, even though it is early in the program.

    "If the people see that this is happening and the food bank needs help, you'll see the support growing," said Lavoie.