The sale of advent calendars are a sure sign that the holiday season is right around the corner.
This year, the Preston Towne Centre Business Improvement Area is encouraging residents to help it take a slightly different approach aimed at giving as opposed to receiving.
Starting Nov. 1, the BIA is asking the community to participate in its reverse advent calendar initiative. To take part, people can donate an item to the Cambridge Food Bank to help those in need.
Each day of the month represents a different item the food bank is in need of. For example, Nov. 1 is cereal and the Nov. 2 request is for peanut butter.
Participants are welcome to donate on any and all days.
Use of the food bank continues to be on the rise. According its data, over 31,000 people have already accessed its services this year, which is equal to the total number from 2022.
Additionally, more than one in 18 people in Cambridge and North Dumfries have used the food bank. That's higher than the provincial average of one in 26 per Feed Ontario.
Food items for the reverse advent calendar can be dropped off on King Street at Farm House Cafe, Marlin Travel, The Hero's Tale, C&C gamebridge and Bowman's Home Hardware.
For more information and a full list of donation requests for each day visit discoverpreston.ca.
