At the last monthly meeting of the Tofield and District Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Oct. 1, Sandy Brolly representing the Tofield/Ryley and Area food bank provided an update on the usage of the food bank.
“It’s unfortunate we need to have a food bank at all but the need is greater than ever. In September we hit a record number of hampers, which is really sad. The biggest group who are increasingly using the food bank is the working poor and seniors,” Brolly said.
From the graph provided, in September 2024, 43 hampers went out from the food bank, feeding 98, compared to 54 in 2025 feeding 130 people.
Somewhat new to the Tofield food bank is the introduction of food choice, where clients can choose what they get from the food bank.
“How much you’re allowed to have depends on the size of your family but let’s say for instance, just throwing out a number, you’re allowed to have up to 24 cans of whatever goods you want. For example, not everybody likes canned peas. Personally, I hate them. Now, you can mix and match. If we let them choose on their own, it reduces waste or returns, and there’s more dignity involved with that, too,” Brolly said.
The Tofield food bank operates by appointment only, which allows clients about 15 to 20 minutes to select items.
“We’re open two days a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, from 10 a.m. to noon, plus once a month we’re open on a Wednesday evening because there are some people who work and can’t make it during the daytime hours. Once a month we also deliver to Ryley as well,” said Brolly.
Brolly said all clients fill out an intake form, and while some food banks in the city require a financial statement, Tofield only asks for a proof of address.
“For those who live in Beaver County West, Tofield, Ryley, and about halfway between Ryley and Holden, they can access our food bank. They keep very close track of that, which also keeps people from accessing more than one food bank,” she said.
The Tofield food bank also has a bread and soup program for those whose hamper doesn’t last until their next appointment.
“If a person, on a monthly basis, they are running out of food, they can come in on a weekly basis and get soup and bread over and above what they get for hampers,” Brolly said.
Darren Erickson asked Brolly when the best time is to drop off food donations so as not to interfere with client appointments.
“You can call, leave a message, and someone will get back to you to schedule a time. You can also donate through the churches, or at IGA,” Brolly said.
Yvonne Brown also said that the door is open on Tuesday afternoons while Boyle Street project is working in there, and said that many people choose to drop off items during that time.
“Each church in the community takes a month to collect donations,” Greg Litwin said. “The Church of Latter-Day Saints does it a little different, they just had their annual food drive where they ask the community to leave stuff and they pick it up and do it that way, but just about every church has got one month where they collect donations, and that’s worked out really well,” he said.
Brolly did caution those in attendance, however, to check best before dates before donating food items.
“That’s really important. There are some things that we can take beyond the best before date, but from a recent church collection I had some stuff from 2010 or 2015, and we can’t take that,” she said.
Read this and more in the October 15, 2025 edition of The Tofield Mercury
Kari Janzen
Staff Reporter
