Country music star Brad Paisley, alongside his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Belmont University, is set to open a second location of “The Store,” a free grocery store aimed at assisting Nashville families facing food insecurity. The new store, located near TriStar Centennial Medical Center, is scheduled to open this summer and will be three times larger than the original, allowing it to serve a significantly higher number of people.
The concept of “The Store” is to provide not just free food, but also dignity and choice to its patrons. Brad Paisley emphasized the importance of allowing families to select their own groceries, stating, “There’s dignity and choice. Dignity, when you can say I would like to get this bread, this meat, this vegetable for my family and get to pick it out and it feels like a grocery store.”
The initiative for the second store was inspired by nurses at Centennial Medical Center who used their own funds to help families in need. Brad Paisley acknowledged the challenges Nashville faces due to rapid growth and expressed his desire to maintain the city’s welcoming and giving spirit. He also mentioned that he and his family are considering opening a third location, although no details have been finalized.
For more information about “The Store” and its mission, visit thestore.org.