Brad Paisley visits Ukraine, meets Zelenskyy: ‘Once in a lifetime opportunity’
Country music star reflects on his trip with the U.S. Senate delegation and his emotional performance.
Country music star Brad Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley founded The Store in 2020 to assist families in need by allowing them to pick out their groceries in an environment similar to that of an everyday store.
This holiday season, there was a two-day free Toy Store event, where select families were able to shop for free Christmas gifts for their children. Gifts included toys, video games, stuffed animals, clothes, makeup and more.
"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 per The Associated Press.
Brad Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, are founders of The Store. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Volunteers and staff from Belmont University, Paisley's alma mater, and The Store worked in collaboration to get this event set up.
"People come on hard times and we want this to be a safe, welcoming place for everybody, whether you’re volunteering or whether you’re needing the services," Williams-Paisley said per The Associated Press. "It’s just a community and we’re all in it together."
The holiday event was fully equipped with a wrapping station and holiday decorations. Parents were also able to drop their kids off at the neighboring church, where their children could hang out while parents shopped and wrapped gifts.
The Store in Nashville, Tennessee, provides a traditional grocery store experience for families in need. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
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"We’ve always wanted to see a Toy Store pop-up around the holidays that has the same framework and model as our grocery store, so that our customers can also shop for gifts for their families with dignity and choice," shared the Paisleys via their website. "We are really excited to see it come together this year, and credit our wonderful staff, amazing volunteers, and energetic new CEO Collen Mayer for making it happen!"
The original inspiration came for The Store after the Paisleys visited Unity Shoppe in Santa Barbara, California. Paisley and his wife built it off of a precedent set by Unity Shoppe, and brought a similar concept to Nashville.
"We took our boys to Unity Shoppe to teach them about serving others and giving back to people in need," says Paisley per The Store website. "And we came away surprised by what the organization had taught us. Most people don't want handouts. They want dignity and respect. Most people want to become self-sufficient."
The Paisley family partnered with Belmont University to create The Store.
The Store operates on a referral basis, and serves over 350 families every month, according to Paisley's website.
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Volunteers and staff worked together to fill the space up with holiday cheer and get toys ready to be brought home with families. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Paisley has held events in recent years to raise money for The Store. In July 2023, Paisley, along with his wife and Zanies, a comedy club in Nashville, hosted a sold-out benefit show called "Groceries with Dignity & Comedy Without."
The "Mud on the Tires" singer has also raised money and awareness for other causes that are important to him.
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While in Ukraine, Brad Paisley performed the song "Same Here" in St. Michael's Square in Kyiv. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)
In April of this year, Paisley went to Ukraine as an ambassador for UNITED24, where he met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Paisley performed his song "Same Here" in St. Michael's Square in Kyiv, Ukraine.
All proceeds from the song, which features a snippet of Zelenskyy's voice, were donated to UNITED24's Rebuild Ukraine program.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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