Free toy store offers dignity of choice
Nashville outlet owned by singer Paisley, wife
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When country music star Brad Paisley and his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-paisley, helped create a free grocery store in Nashville, Tennessee, their goal was to give families in need the ability to choose their own food in a place that felt like a normal store.
This year, The Store is offering that same dignity of choice to parents looking for gifts for the holiday season. During a two-day event starting Friday, 400 families will shop at a free toy store, stocked with brand new toys, video games, stuffed animals, scooters, clothes, makeup and musical instruments.
“The emotional aspect of being able to give your child something your child wanted versus just something to sort of get you through the holidays, that’s such a load off the minds of somebody who maybe didn’t think they were going to be able to do that,” Paisley said.
Nashville resident Stephanie Brodie got enrolled at The Store when she was a caregiver to her mother and they both enjoyed getting to shop for the foods that they needed for their diets. Her mom has since died and now she’s taking care of five grandchildren, including four under the age of 15.
On Friday, Brodie and her granddaughter La’delegant Hartsfield picked out armloads of toys, musical instruments, beauty products and clothes for the family on Friday, a much-needed blessing when she’s trying to save money to replace a broken stove this year.
“It’s a very much dignified process and it gives you the freedom of choice,” said Brodie, who wore a paisley print dress in honor of the Paisley family. “So we have choice in what we present to our children. And we have choice in what we feed and put on the table, which of course empowers you.”
The Paisleys got a sneak peak on Thursday before the free toy store opened, marveling over the stacks of gifts, wrapping station, Christmas trees and holiday decorations. Volunteers and staff from Belmont University and The Store spent hours unpacking and organizing all the donated toys into sections and decorating while listening to Christmas music.
The celebrity couple brought the idea of a free grocery store to Nashville after seeing the concept years ago at the Unity Shoppe in Santa Barbara, California. When The Store launched in early 2020, it was just weeks after a tornado hit the city and before the global pandemic made food access an immediate problem.
The Store and its staff adapted, turning into a food delivery service for older people and delivering a million meals in the first year of operation. The Store has an enrollment process each year.