DANBURY, CONN. — From peanut butter and canned fruit to warm blankets and soft pillows, donations collected by the O.W.L.S. at Western Connecticut State University are making their way to the people who need them most.

Since mid-November, the university’s Older Wiser Learners (O.W.L.s) have been collecting non-perishable food items and new bedding to donate to the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury and have already disbursed three large boxes.

O.W.L.s president Oni Figueroa said despite the economy, the response has been overwhelming. “We wanted to help out our community and thought of the women’s center, where they are always in need,” she said. O.W.L.s is a group organized to initiate peer group contact among adult students and to facilitate transition to academic life and provide information.

The group will continue collecting items to donate at the information desk at the Student Center on the university’s Midtown Campus, 181 White St. in Danbury and at the Westside Campus Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension in Danbury, until the end of December.

The Women’s Center of Greater Danbury provides free and confidential services to prevent or lessen the trauma associated with domestic violence, sexual assault and other major life transitions.

For more information on the collection, contact Figueroa at (203) 837-8415.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.