BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) --Manna Ministries has moved its soup kitchen to a church across town as the bank auction for the building of the financially troubled non-profit draws closer.
Manna is being forced to move it's soup kitchen and offices out of the 629 Main Street property because it defaulted on its loans and the bank ordered an auction.
Manna also owes more than a million dollars to the state for mismanaging a failed drug treatment program that has since closed.
Manna's program director Bill Rae confirmed the organization is planning to move its headquarters to 100 Center street in Bangor after making some needed repairs to get the building up to code.
The Center Street building is not zoned for a soup kitchen so Manna is temporarily operating its soup kitchen
out of the Brick Church on Union Street until it can find a permanent solution.
"I'm really thankful. This is the most unbelievable part of this whole ministry right now in the last two weeks. With all that's been happening to Manna to be able to to provide a dinner tonight and last night and be able to do this until we get everything organized and everything that we need to have done. It's a blessing is what it is," said Rae. "I refuse to got backwards anymore. I refuse to live in the past, we've got to go forward."
According to Jeremy Martin, Bangor's Code Enforcement Officer, the building on Center Street is authorized for use as office space and a thrift store, but there are a number of repairs that must be made before Manna can be granted a certificate of occupancy.
The auction of Manna's Main Street building will be held by Tranzon properties on September 8th. Interested buyers were able to inspect the property Tuesday morning.