Brad Paisley to Open Free Grocery Store in Nashville for People in Need

Brad Paisley and wife Kimberly attend the post Grammy William Morris party in Hollywood on Feb. 8, 2004. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Musician/actor Brad Paisley and his actress wife Kimberly want to open a grocery store where people can take what they need for free.

“Some of you may have heard about the new charity we are launching in Nashville, called “The Store” @thestore_nashville. It’s in partnership with @belmontu, my college, and it’s in its early stages but I’m very excited about this concept,” Paisley tweeted on Oct. 3.

“The Store will operate as a free-referral based grocery store, allowing people in need to shop with dignity for their basic needs. It aims to empower individuals seeking self-sufficiency,” Belmont University announced about its alumnus on the same day.

It actually started with a life lesson that the celebrity couple wanted to teach their boys; William, 12, and Hollar, 10.

They wanted the boys to appreciate what they have by serving others so they volunteered their boys to help in Unity Shoppe in Santa Barbara, in California. It turned out that everyone in the family learned from this trip, and they decided to bring the idea back to Nashville.

The Store will work with organizations including Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, to offer fresh and nonperishable groceries to people in need for one year.

“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,” Brad told Tennessean. It is “temporary Band-Aid on the road to self-sufficiency,” his wife added.

The store will also provide on-the-job training, and a wide range of services working with the university’s Healthcare and Legal Aid Ministry Clinics.

“At Belmont we believe that the greatest privilege that anyone can ever have is to be in a position to help and serve another person,” said Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher.

“Brad and Kim are living out that mission in an extraordinary fashion in every aspect of their lives, particularly through the creation of The Store. We are proud to partner with them on this initiative, and I’m excited to watch as our current students pour their gifts and abilities into supporting the needs of The Store’s patrons.”

The Paisleys started with an initial donation and want to reach $500,000 before the 2019 groundbreaking. Its initial goal is to serve 3000 people per year. The target funding goal is $1.2 million for total construction. People can donate via TheStore.org.

“If a major donor would like to partner and help us fund the building, we would be honored to put their name in bold letters at the top of it,” Paisley said.

They also want to set up a toy aisle over the holidays and will accept new and unopened toy donations throughout the year.

The Store will be at 2005 12th Ave. S. in Nashville. It is next to Belmont University’s Ministry Center, and is convenient to bus routes in Nashville’s 12 South district.

Brad Paisley has written and composed many popular songs such as “Today.”

He and his wife have also worked as producers and directors, and appeared on different TV shows.

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