Pictured is a reverse Advent calendar being used as part of a food drive for the food pantry at First Covenant Church in Jamestown. Submitted photo

First Covenant Church of Jamestown is sponsoring a Reverse Advent Calendar this Christmas season to support its food pantry ministry called God’s Pantry.

Advent is a four-week period leading up to Christmas day beginning on Nov. 24. Traditional advent calendars are used to prepare people for the arrival of Christmas. Many calendars offer a small daily treat or a piece of candy or chocolate.

The Reverse Advent Calendar instead contains a daily request for a food item, such as a can of soup, a box of cereal, a jar of peanut butter to be placed in a box. Over the four weeks of Advent the box is filled with an item each day and then brought to the church on Christmas to restock the food pantry. Organizers remind those donatin to check expiration dates on their donations.

It is the hope of First Covenant Church that other churches and individuals may also want to participate by giving their filled boxes to other food pantries or needy individuals and families.

Area residents or churches wishing to participate will be able to find a copy of the calendar on the church’s website at firstcov.church or pick up copies of the Reverse Advent Calendar at the First Covenant Church office located at 520 Spring St., Jamestown. Call the church at 716-483-9825 to make arrangements to pick up a copy.