In a perfect world, those of us who have been fortunate in life wouldn’t need to give back to the community because there would be enough of everything to go around. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. All too often, all too many people who are trying their best just aren’t getting the basics.
That’s where one power couple comes in, trying to fill a gap in their community.
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Brad Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, have obviously done well in life.
He’s an arena-packing country music star, and she’s a familiar face from TV and movies, with credits like Father of the Bride , We Are Marshall , and the popular Darrow and Darrow mystery series on Hallmark on her resumé .
They’re both successful, and they’re both dedicated to their community in Nashville.
The powerful pair are showing off their dedication with plans for “The Store,” a grocery store that’s free for people in need.
The Store will be a simple, familiar setup, not like a food bank. Customers will walk the aisles, just like at any other grocery store, picking up the things they need and taking them up to a check out counter.
The difference, of course, is that they won’t need to pay before taking their groceries home.
It sounds a bit odd, but there’s a reason for it.
As Paisley said, they want to remove the “sting of embarrassment” families might feel when reaching out for help.
“The kids should not know what their parent is going through,” he said . “That’s not stress the child needs.”
The Store was inspired by The Unity Shoppe, a similar setup in Santa Barbara where Brad and Kimberly took their sons to teach them about giving back and serving others.
“We came away surprised by what the organization had taught us,” Brad said . “Most people don’t want handouts. They want dignity and respect. Most people want to become self-sufficient.”
“We love this idea of a free grocery store where people can come in and make choices for their families and kids can see their parents in a position of power making choices for the family,” Kimberly added.
The Store just got one huge step closer to becoming reality when Brad and Kimberly broke the ground to begin construction.
Brad even got behind the controls of a backhoe to make the ground-breaking official. When it’s finished, The Store will be located next to Belmont University’s ministry center. Belmont is Brad’s alma mater, and the college has partnered with him and Kimberly to make their dream a reality.
People who need The Store’s services will be referred by social service agencies, and they’ll have access to its shelves for a year while they get their feet under them.
The Store expects to serve at least 3,000 people in need every year.
As Kimberly pointed out, there’s a large need for The Store in Nashville, where 1 in 7 people, and 1 in 5 kids, “don’t know where their next meal is coming from. We really want to get to people before it’s a major crisis. We want to help people in this gap where they’re trying to get back on their feet and they just need a little bit of extra help.”
Their efforts even got a little extra boost on social media.
Former President Barack Obama gave the pair a much appreciated shout-out and a little bump after seeing the news of their push to feed families.
h/t CNN
