WILSON, OK - The Wilson Women's Outreach started collecting school supplies and raising money back in May with one goal in mind - to provide every student at the elementary school with all the school supplies they would need for the year, and after three months and countless fundraising hours they have done just that.

Peggy Herrin says she and more than 20 members of the Wilson Women's Outreach group worked all summer to gather donations and supplies for the elementary school, in all, pulling together a full school supply list for 230 students from pre-K to 5th grade.

"We worked hard we talked to a lot of people, we solicited, we had a convenient store set up where they would ask people to put change in the school supplies box, we just got it wherever we could get it," Herrin says.

Herrin says the Wilson Women's Outreach has handed out some supplies in the past, but knew they wanted to do more this year to help take the burden of back to school shopping off of parents.

"I just think the way the economy was or is, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better, and you have three or four children in elementary school from $30 to $40 per child, that's a lot of money, so it was pretty neat."

On Wednesday, students arrived to find all the supplies waiting for them, from crayons and map pencils to binders and Kleenex, all ready to go for the new year.

Fifth grader Carli Wharton says she's glad her family has some extra money this school year.

"It was good because we didn't have to go buy it, and we can go spend that money on something else we need besides school supplies. I think it was nice of the churches to do that," Carli said.

Wilson Elementary School principal Denise Brunk says the beginning of school can be stressful for teachers, students, and parents, and thinks the donated school supplies helped get the year off to a positive start.

"It was one of the things that was marked off the list early, so it was a tremendous relief, and we're really really grateful as far as the staff and the community. It's just been a huge blessing," Brunk says.

The Wilson Women's Outreach says they hope to be able to continue their school supplies drive next year.