TORONTO — Members of Hillel of Greater Toronto ran a two-day baby food drive after York University student Ariella Markus, learned that it was the most needed product at food banks.

“[Food bank users] can’t afford to buy it at the store, but they also can’t get it from a food bank,” she said.

Since people typically don’t have baby food sitting in their homes ready for donation, Hillel members sat outside two Thornhill, Ont., grocery stores on Nov. 21 and Nov. 26 to ask customers for food and cash donations.

This is Markus’ third year running the drive and her second year working with Hillel and the Children’s Studies Students Association at York, where she is a fourth-year student majoring in both Jewish studies and children’s studies.

In total, the students collected more than 500 baby food items, which were donated to the Richmond Hill Food bank and to Chasdei Kaduri, a local kosher food bank for Jewish families in York Region. They also collected $200 in cash, which was donated to the Richmond Hill Food Bank and will be allocated for baby food purchases.