Daggett Shuler Partners with Winston-Salem Police Department to Help Students Start the School Year Strong

Daggett Shuler attorneys David Daggett and Griff Shuler appeared alongside Winston-Salem police Chief William Penn on Triad Today with Jim Longworth to celebrate 12 years of the Backpack Program.

Equipping Students for a Successful School Year

Each year, the program provides 325 fully stocked backpacks to students identified by school counselors as needing additional support and those part of the YMCAs Bright Beginnings program. The backpacks contain the supplies students need from their school supply lists, helping ensure they can walk into the classroom ready to learn.

One important feature of the program is that the backpacks are unmarked and unbranded.

This allows students to receive the supplies they need without feeling singled out or stigmatized.

As David explained during the Triad Today interview, the goal is to have the greatest possible impact on underserved students by giving them the tools they need to start the year on equal footing with their peers.

Giving Students a Strong Start

Griff emphasized just how important the beginning of the school year can be. Having the right supplies from day one can help students feel prepared, confident, and ready to participate in the classroom. More broadly, giving young people a strong start can help put them on a positive path for the future.

“Having a backpack equalizes the playing field,” Shuler explained during the interview.

That philosophy is at the heart of Daggett Shuler’s involvement in the program. Supporting students isn’t simply about providing notebooks, pencils, and other school supplies. It’s about giving young people an opportunity to begin the year feeling supported and ready to succeed.

Building Positive Relationships Between Police and Students

The program also serves another important purpose: creating positive interactions between Winston-Salem police officers and the young people they serve.

Chief William Penn explained that community engagement is a major priority for the Winston-Salem Police Department. Distributing backpacks allows officers to interact with students and families in a positive, non-enforcement setting.

Those moments can help students see police officers not simply as authority figures, but as members of their community who care about their well-being. And for officers, the experience can be just as meaningful. Chief Penn noted that seeing students’ excitement when they receive their backpacks reinforces the role officers can play in supporting young people and contributing to crime prevention at an early age.

The Power of Partnership

After 12 years, the backpack program’s impact extends well beyond the initial distribution of supplies. Daggett Shuler and Winston-Salem police officers deliver the backpacks directly to participating schools, where they work with school counselors and administrators to identify students who will benefit most.

The response from school principals and administrators has been especially encouraging. According to Griff, educators have shared how much of a difference the program can make for students and have described the positive impact they’ve seen over the years. That feedback reminds us that community partnerships can make a meaningful difference when organizations work together toward a common goal.

Education as a Means of Prevention

The Triad Today conversation also touched on the broader issue of youth violence and community safety. Chief Penn emphasized the importance of giving young people positive options and opportunities. Education, he explained, is one of the most important ways to do that.

Helping a student begin the school year with the supplies they need may seem like a small gesture. Still, it can be part of something much larger: creating opportunities, building confidence, strengthening community relationships, and encouraging students to pursue a positive future.

For Daggett Shuler, that is what makes this annual program so meaningful.

Investing in the Next Generation

At the end of the interview, David shared a personal example of the long-term impact that investing in young people can have. He recalled meeting a student while visiting a high school years ago and seeing how that young person went on to succeed, and that student went on to be Chief Penn. Stories like that capture the spirit behind the backpack program.

By working alongside educators, law enforcement, families, and other community partners, Daggett Shuler hopes to continue helping young people start strong and build a foundation for a successful future.

To learn more about Daggett Shuler and its commitment to the Triad, visit the firm’s website or contact the team at 336-724-1234.

David Daggett Joins the Triad Today Round Table

Following the conversation about Daggett Shuler’s annual backpack program, David stayed on Triad Today for the show’s popular Round Table segment, where he joined fellow panelists to weigh in on a variety of timely legal and community issues.

One of the more serious topics involved a Greensboro family who alleged that their loved one was accidentally cremated despite the family’s request for an open-casket funeral. Discussing the potential lawsuit, Daggett proposed gaining a complete understanding of the circumstances before evaluating a potential damages award. He also explained that the $25,000 figure mentioned in the case was a threshold for getting the matter into Superior Court, and not necessarily the total amount the family was seeking.

The panel also discussed a lawsuit involving the North Carolina Diaper Bank and damaged supplies, as well as a dispute involving a 28-year-old woman who inherited a home in a Florida community restricted to residents age 55 and older. On the latter issue, Daggett noted that the community’s established age restrictions and rules were important considerations.

Other topics included accessory dwelling units, local zoning authority, and even the proposed renaming of the Gulf of Mexico. The segment ended, as Round Table discussions often do, with plenty of humor, including a conversation about a Florida restaurant’s unusual dining concept and a story about a library book returned more than a century overdue.

While the topics ranged from serious legal matters to the downright entertaining, Daggett’s participation reflected the value of bringing legal perspectives into everyday conversations. The Round Table allowed viewers to hear a knowledgeable attorney break down complicated issues in an accessible and engaging way.

For Daggett Shuler, appearing on Triad Today was another opportunity to connect with the community, not only by highlighting the firm’s commitment to helping local students, but also by contributing to conversations about the legal issues and everyday questions affecting people across North Carolina.