Brad Paisley and Wife to Open Free Grocery Store for Those in Need

Brad Paisley and his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, have partnered with Belmont University to help those in need. The superstar power couple will open up The Store, a food pantry that is set up like a free grocery market.

“This is a grocery store with dignity for people who have fallen on hard times,” Paisley, president of The Store’s board of trustees, told The Tennessean. “All of us are one unforeseen disaster away from rock bottom. It’s nice to think about a place where when that happens to someone, they can use it to get back on their feet.”

 

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We are so excited to tell Nashville about our passion project. Follow @thestore_nashville and see link in profile 💙💚 #Repost @thestore_nashville ・・・ Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley Announce “The Store” A Non-Profit Free Grocery Store for Individuals and Families Seeking Self-Sufficiency

A post shared by Kimberly Williams-Paisley (@kimberlywilliamspaisley) on Oct 2, 2018 at 12:25pm PDT

“It’s that Billy Hill song, ‘There’s Too Much Month at the End of the Money,'” added Pete Fisher, co-chair of The Store’s board of trustees and CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “A lot of times when people fall on tough times, they don’t need a lifeline for a lifetime, they just need a bridge and the store affords those families a dignified way to cross that bridge and achieve that self-sufficiency.”

The Store is located at 2005 12th Ave. S, next to Belmont’s Ministry Center. Partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and other organizations, the nonprofit hopes to serve 3,000 people per year.

In addition to groceries, The Store will also carry toys during the holiday seasons and will accept donations of new, unopened toys throughout the year.

 

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@thestore_nashville 🍎🍎🍎 *link in profile

A post shared by Kimberly Williams-Paisley (@kimberlywilliamspaisley) on Oct 2, 2018 at 8:08pm PDT

The idea for the organization came after the Paisleys took their two sons to volunteer at a similar set-up. Prodded to go because they felt their children were acting spoiled, the family went to the Unity Shoppe in Santa Barbara, CA during the Thanksgiving holiday. Though the initial hope was to have their children understand how lucky they are, the entire family took something away from the experience.

Those in need can be referred to The Story through nonprofit and government agencies. For more information, visit thestore.org.