Backpacks for Success: How Roughley Insurance Supports Durham Region Students Heading Back to School

Every August, while most of us are picking out fresh notebooks and new shoes, thousands of families across Durham Region are facing a different reality. They're doing the math on back-to-school costs and coming up short.

At Roughley Insurance, we've seen this reality up close for more than 15 years. That's how long our team has been supporting Simcoe Hall Settlement House's Backpack Program, one of Oshawa's most important back-to-school initiatives. It's a cause that's deeply personal to our team, and it's a tradition we're proud to continue every single year.

The Cost of Going Back to School

Back-to-school shopping is expensive for everyone. According to recent surveys, Canadian families spend an average of $743 on back-to-school supplies, clothing, and essentials, a figure that has climbed steadily in recent years as inflation drives up the cost of everyday items.

For many families, those costs are manageable. For others, they represent an impossible choice between school supplies and groceries, between a new backpack and keeping the lights on.

In Oshawa, the need is real. Reports have shown that roughly one in five children in the city live in poverty, a rate higher than the Durham Region average. Behind that statistic are real kids heading into real classrooms, and the last thing any child should be worrying about on the first day of school is whether they have a pencil.

What the Backpack Program Does

Simcoe Hall Settlement House has been a cornerstone of Oshawa's social safety net since 1935, when the Women's Welfare League established it in response to the hardship of the Great Depression. For nearly 90 years, Simcoe Hall has served children, families, and vulnerable adults throughout Durham Region with food bank services, children's programs, seniors' recreation, and seasonal initiatives like the Backpack Program.

The Backpack Program provides students from kindergarten through Grade 12 with a quality backpack filled with grade-appropriate supplies: binders, refill paper, scribblers, report covers, pencil crayons, pens, pencils, rulers, and more. Every item is brand new. Every backpack is packed with care by Simcoe Hall's dedicated volunteers.

The program has grown remarkably since its early days. In its first year, Simcoe Hall distributed about 36 backpacks. By 2019, that number had surpassed 1,000. In recent years, the program has continued to grow, with Simcoe Hall supporting well over 1,200 students annually. The need keeps rising, and Simcoe Hall keeps showing up.

Simcoe Hall is also part of Operation Backpack, a coordinated effort among six Durham Region organizations, including United Way Durham Region, Ignite Durham Learning Foundation, and Durham Children's Aid Foundation. Together, these partners distributed over 6,000 backpacks across the region in a recent campaign year. It's a powerful example of what happens when a community pulls together.

Our Team's Connection to This Cause

Lisa and Wanda from our team have been overseeing Roughley's commitment to the Backpack Program for more than 15 years. What started as a personal initiative from our owners, Jim Roughley and Grant Musselman, has become one of the causes our entire team rallies behind each summer.

Jim put it simply: "For the past 15 years, Grant and I have provided backpacks and back-to-school supplies for Backpacks for Success. We recognize the barriers and inequities that many families and their children face in our community and believe that every child should be given the same opportunities to be successful in school. Backpacks for Success helps families worry about one less thing during the back-to-school season, and Roughley Insurance will always strive to provide hope and relief wherever and whenever we can."

Lisa, who coordinates our team's donations each year, shares a perspective that captures why this program matters at the most human level: "No child should feel different in a classroom. They need to have the same tools and benefits as everyone else. Every little bit makes a very big difference in the life of a child. A good beginning equals a good foundation."

Our staff have found creative ways to boost their contributions over the years, organizing raffles, 50/50 draws, and other fundraisers. Simcoe Hall has asked that monetary donations be made rather than supplies, so the organization can purchase exactly what students need for each grade level. Our team has been happy to support in whatever way helps most.

Why It's Personal

For some of our team members, this cause hits especially close to home.

Rosemary, a member of our staff, was a single mom who experienced firsthand the kindness of community support. "I was a single mom," she shared, "and the kindness of people offering to help was overwhelming. There are so many out there who really appreciate a bit of kindness."

That's the thing about community giving. It's never abstract. Behind every backpack is a child who will unzip it on the first day of school and find everything they need to participate, to learn, and to feel like they belong. Behind every donation is someone who remembers what it feels like to need a hand, or who simply believes that every kid deserves a fair start.

Being Part of Durham Region

Roughley Insurance was founded in 1945, just ten years after Simcoe Hall Settlement House opened its doors. For nearly 80 years, we've been part of this community. We've insured the homes, cars, and businesses of Durham Region families across three generations. But being part of a community means more than doing business here. It means showing up when it counts.

The Backpack Program is one of several causes we support throughout the year. Our team participates in events with Simcoe Hall year-round, from holiday toy drives to food bank contributions. We've also supported causes like Feed the Need in Durham and the CIBC Run for the Cure. Community involvement isn't a line item for us. It's part of who we are.

How You Can Help

If you'd like to support Simcoe Hall Settlement House's Backpack Program, here's how to get involved:

Donate supplies. New backpacks, lunch bags, reusable water bottles, and school supplies can be dropped off at Simcoe Hall Settlement House at 387 Simcoe Street South in Oshawa, Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. All donated supplies must be brand new.

Make a monetary donation. Send a cheque to Simcoe Hall Settlement House or an e-transfer with "Backpack Program" in the memo. Monetary donations allow Simcoe Hall to purchase exactly what's needed for each grade level.

Volunteer your time. Volunteers help sort, pack, and distribute backpacks each summer. Email simcoehallvolunteers@gmail.com to get involved.

Register your family. If your children need school supplies, registration for the Backpack Program typically opens in July on Simcoe Hall's website at simcoehall.com. You'll receive a pickup date once registered.

Spread the word. Share this post or tell a neighbour about the program. Many families who qualify don't know the Backpack Program exists.

For more information about Simcoe Hall Settlement House and all of their programs, visit simcoehall.com or call 905-728-7525.

A Good Beginning

Lisa said it best: a good beginning equals a good foundation. Every child who walks into a Durham Region classroom this September deserves to feel prepared, confident, and ready to learn. Programs like Backpacks for Success make that possible, and they only work because people in this community choose to show up for each other.

We're proud to be one of those people. And we'll be back next August, doing it all over again.

To learn more about Roughley Insurance's community involvement, visit our community page. If you have questions about your insurance coverage, our team is here to help at any of our three offices in Oshawa, Bowmanville, and Port Perry.