Brad Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, are working to open up a free grocery store for their local community in Nashville, Tennessee. The couple want to build a modern version of a food pantry that would be set up like a free grocery store, called The Store.
The Paisleys, who believe in paying it forward, are teaming up with his alma mater, Belmont University. The university provided the property in which the store will open, right in the middle of an energetic Nashville community. Paisley, who is president of The Store’s board of trustees, told the Tennessean,“This is a grocery store with dignity for people who have fallen on hard times. 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.”
Within their first year, the nonprofit group wants to be able to serve 3,000 people from the community. The customers will have the option of both fresh and nonperishable groceries for one year in their time of need. The Store, wants to be seen as a helping hand, not a hand out. In addition to groceries, during the holidays The Store plans on providing a gift aisle that the customers can shop to provide their kids with toys from their wish list.
The idea came after the Paisleys volunteered at a similar organization, Unity Shoppe in Santa Barbara, California. It was there that they realized a similar set up would work well in Nashville. The Store is in the fundraising stages now with groundbreaking projected for 2019.This is a true example of country music at its best. Not about the label, music or money, but about the compassion of our hearts and helping out a neighbor. We think the Paisleys are doing their part to see we are “One Big Country Nation.”
