WORCESTER, Mass. — The Willows retirement community in Worcester is helping out teachers and students in the community as they prepare to return to school. 

For the past two months, a volunteer charity group called Grateful Hearts has been collecting school supplies for Worcester Public Schools students. 

On Thursday, they dropped off 48 backpacks, 25 whiteboards, and boxes of crayons, pencils, pens, binders and notebooks. 

Terry Dorsey, a founder of Grateful Hearts, said she knows what it's like to struggle at the start of the new school year. 

"The residents are very, very generous up at The Willows," Dorsey said. "I know from my own experience teaching, I'd easily spend $1,000 out of my own pocket, so this is a great help to the teachers and students of Worcester Public Schools."

The eight to 10 volunteers with the Grateful Hearts also pitch in at the Worcester County Food Bank, Abby's House and the St. John's Catholic Church.