As fans of Brad Paisley know, he’s an incredibly nice and caring person but even his latest move has left many stunned.
The country singer and his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, are giving back in the best way possible. According to People , the pair has teamed up with Brad’s alma mater, Belmont University, and are set to open a free — yes free grocery store in Nashville. Paisley himself explained the reasoning behind the idea.
“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.”
Building is expected to begin sometime in 2019 and will be sort of a hybrid mix between a grocery store and a food bank. The store, which will literally be named The Store, will open its doors for one year and serve both nonperishable goods as well as fresh goods to those in need. And during the holidays, The Store even has plans to set up a toy aisle for Christmas gifts.
Brad and Kimberly have already donated $500,000 themselves to break ground and on the website, they are still looking for donations to help get the project completed. The Store will make it’s home in “the heart of Nashville’s bustling 12 South district” next to Belmont University’s Ministry Center.
Brad also shared that their latest charitable venture didn’t come at random. According to Paisley, the couple was vacationing in Santa Barabara, California, with their two young sons when they stumbled across the Unity Shoppe, which is similar to what The Store will be. After that, Brad and his wife thought that the whole concept was amazing and Brad wondered why there weren’t more stores like this. His wife agreed.
“Essentially, we got this idea that it could be a very effective thing in Nashville. So many people are making great choices in their lives. It’s not like they’ve made major mistakes, they just need a little extra help and we want to be a resource for those people,” Kimberly said.
The actress also added that The Store is just meant to be a “temporary Band-Aid on the road to self-sufficiency” for people who need a boost to get back on their feet.
The Store has started their own page on Instagram for those who want to donate or keep up with the building process and eventually the grand opening.
