PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — Some students in Joplin will start their school year with new outfits, thanks to a national effort organized by a Kansas clothing designer.

Susan Stewart of Pittsburg organized Project First Day. She recruited people across the country to make new outfits for students in the Joplin district, which suffered serious damage in a May 22 tornado.

Stewart, a clothing designer for a sewing magazine, said she remembered how much she enjoyed having a new outfit on the first day of school. She T

The Joplin Globe reports that the response has been overwhelming. Stewart says she’s lost count of the outfits that have arrived but it’s not unusual for her to get at least 14 boxes of clothes a day.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press