Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley's The Store: What to know about Nashville nonprofit for free groceries

The Store, a nonprofit started by Brad Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, allows Nashville individuals facing food insecurity the opportunity to shop for free groceries.

As one in seven Middle Tennesseeans face the risk of hunger, the nonprofit offers fresh food and services to Nashvillians in a mission to "combat food insecurity in Middle Tennessee with empathy, dignity, and respect," its website says.

The nonprofit opened in 2020 with a location on Belmont University's campus. And now, country musician Brad Paisley and actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley recently announced they would be opening a second location of The Store at North Nashville's TriStar Centennial Medical Center.

The new location, in partnership with Tristar, will be on the ground floor of TriStar Centennial's B Garage at 311 23rd Ave North.

In the midst of The Store's expansion in Nashville, here's everything you need to know about the nonprofit's backstory, mission and how you can shop.

What is Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley's The Store?

The Store is a nonprofit that offers free groceries to individuals in need in the Nashville area, and it's set up a little differently than a typical food pantry.

In a model that works to uphold the dignity of its shoppers, The Store has a variety of fresh, healthy options for shoppers to choose from and access to meat, dairy and produce.

The Store has continued to expand beyond just shopping options by offering support services, including counseling, budgeting and cooking classes, literacy, pet care and back-to-school support.

In a statement, the Paisleys said that since its opening in 2020, The Store has benefited a community that was impacted by tornadoes and pandemic.

Now, they're inspired to continue expanding and providing aid in Music City as it experiences a city-wide population boom and that can come with potential economic strains.

Where is Brad Paisley's The Store?

The first location for The Store is on Belmont's campus at 2009 12th Avenue South.

The second will be on the ground floor of TriStar Centennial's B Garage at 311 23rd Ave North.

A $5 million expansion campaign will fund the construction and operation of the Centennial site; the Paisleys have contributed the first $1 million towards the goal.

At this time, no opening date has been announced for the second location.

Here's the history behind Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley's The Store

The Store was inspired by the Unity Shoppe, a free supermarket in California.

The Paisleys volunteered at The Unity Shoppe with their children after having a realization: “We’ve got to get them into service and get them out of their bubble, and help them understand that there are hungry people in the world,” Williams-Perry is quoted as saying on The Store's website.

From the volunteering experience, the idea of Nashville's The Store was born.

The Paisleys opened The Store on March 12th, 2020, shortly after Nashville was rocked by a deadly tornado on March 2, 2020, that left 70,000 residents without power.

After the tornado hit, the COVID-19 pandemic quickly followed. In the midst of a shelter-in-place order, the Paisleys had to change The Store's original model.

They put together a pandemic program and offered curbside pickup and home delivery services that prioritized the elderly. For the first 17 months, this is how The Store worked.

Since then, each year the store has provided 150,000 meals to Middle Tennesseeans in need.

This is how Brad Paisley's The Store works

The Store is powered by volunteers and donations. To contribute, individuals can sign up on The Store's website.

Anyone who is facing food insecurity can shop at The Store. There are two different shopping options catered to the circumstances of their shoppers.

There is an emergency shopping option for those who are experiencing an unexpected food shortage or a temporary crisis. For those who may have lost their job or experienced an income loss, they can come in for a one-time shopping trip.

These shoppers do not need appointments, but should bring a form of identification and proof of income if possible.

There is also a bi-weekly shopping option for those who are at 200% of the poverty line or below. These individuals and families are eligible for a program that usually lasts one year.

At this time, the program is full but they are seeking more funding to expand enrollment.

To be considered for the bi-weekly shopping program as spaces become available, potential shoppers need to fill out a shopper's interest form on The Store's website.

For more information, head to thestore.org.

Audrey Gibbs is a music reporter at The Tennessean. You can reach her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Brad Paisley's The Store: What to know about Nashville nonprofit