Wednesday marked the groundbreaking initiative of country singer Brad Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley on the site where they were to open a free grocery store later in 2019.
Brad Paisley’s Non-Profit Grocery
Affectionately named “The Store,” Paisley partners with his alma mater, Belmont University. It is a new nonprofit business that will serve underprivileged members of the surrounding community in Nashville.
There will be no charge to people who are referred, and people may shop for food to supplement the income during times of crisis and as they work toward self-sufficiency.
The country star and his wife said that they got the idea after volunteering with their kids at a similar store called Unity Shoppe in Santa Barbara, California. In a press release, Williams-Paisley explained their intentions for the non-profit grocery store.
“In Nashville, there are 1 in 7 people and 1 in 5 children that have food insecurity. That means they don’t know where they are going to get their next meal. The Store will be another resource to help families and individuals going through a hard time but working toward self-sufficiency.”
The Paisleys’ goal with the Store is to help with hunger issues and form food security for those who may not be able to do so without assistance. It eventually plans to develop additional services beyond the grocery store.
“We really want to get people before this is a major crisis. We want to help people in this gap where they are trying to get back on their feet.”
Former President Barack Obama, at whose inauguration Paisley performed back in 2009, sang praises for the store.
Here’s a story about people doing good that's worth sharing: @BradPaisley and his wife @Kimwilliamspais saw food insecurity in Nashville and decided to do something about it. They just broke ground on a free grocery store to help families in need: https://t.co/o6pcAApZsm
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 4, 2019
Located on Belmont University’s campus next to the Ministry Center, the 4000 square foot facility is estimated to cost $1.5 million for construction and expected to be open by the end of 2019.
Construction on the Nashville store is projected to be completed by the end of the year.
