Because of you, hundreds of students are heading back to school with confidence. With more than 800 students registered, this year's School Store provided essential school supplies—including backpacks and water bottles—to more students than ever before. Because of your generosity, we collected: - 800+ backpacks - 650+ stainless steel water bottles Equipped with the essential school supplies they received at School Store, students will begin the new school year prepared, confident, and ready to learn. A heartfelt thank you to our 140 incredible volunteers and everyone who gave, donated, and cheered us on. Together, you helped make back-to-school season a little brighter for so many families.
The Store
Individual and Family Services
Nashville, Tennessee 1,758 followers
Empowers and dignifies individuals and families who are seeking self-sufficiency by providing choices for healthy foods.
About us
THE STORE is inspired by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and is modeled after Unity Shoppe, located in Santa Barbara, California. Following a visit to Unity Shoppe with their sons, Brad and Kim began dreaming about bringing a similar service experience to Nashville. United in belief and partnership with Brad’s alma mater, Belmont University, and with the support of the community, The Store is becoming reality.
- Website
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http://www.thestore.org
External link for The Store
- Industry
- Individual and Family Services
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2017
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
2005 12th Ave S
Nashville, Tennessee 37204, US
Employees at The Store
Updates
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The Store reposted this
"Honey, I can't talk right now. I'm at work." Tony said this to his wife while stocking shelves at The Store. He was on a volunteer shift. Unpaid. A little put out by the interruption. Tony spent decades serving this country in the military. A long and distinguished career. And now, making sure the produce is fresh and the shelves are full for his neighbors - he treats this the same way. Then there's Jen. When she retired after a long career, she found herself lost. Her words. No purpose, no community, nowhere to put her gifts. Then she found The Store. I've heard some version of this story more times than I can count from our active retirees. The working years are full - purpose, productivity, the feeling of being needed and depended on. And then retirement arrives, often a season we spent years looking forward to, and something unexpected happens. For a lot of people, the transition is quieter and harder than they imagined. The Store has become, for many of them, a place to land. Yesterday we held our July Lunch and Learn. Fifty-six people signed up - a new record. When the group shared why they came, 75% had recently retired. They said things like: "I want to give back." "I want to stay active." "I want somewhere to use my gifts." I have to be honest about something. Without our active retirees, The Store couldn't operate. Not just because they're helpful - but because they are the backbone. Most of them know more about running this place than I do. And if yesterday's Lunch and Learn is any sign of what's coming, The Store is going to be in very good hands.
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A new pair of shoes is about more than comfort - it's about helping a child walk into the school year with confidence. As part of our School Store this Saturday, we're still looking for volunteers to help with our Shoe Giveaway and create a welcoming, joyful experience for every family. Sign up to volunteer here: https://lnkd.in/ghjxqDtG
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The Store reposted this
This morning on Talk of The Town - NewsChannel 5 Network, they asked me why The School Store is one of my favorite time of year. The honest answer is that it's because I get to witness two beautiful things happening at the same time. The first is watching a child walk out with a brand-new backpack and water bottle, shoulders just a little straighter than when they walked in. The second is watching a community decide that no child should start school carrying the weight of financial stress alone. For many families, the start of a new school year comes with impossible choices. Groceries. Rent. Summer childcare. And before they've had a chance to catch their breath, school supplies are suddenly on the list too. The School Store brings our community together to answer that need with dignity. Each summer at The Store, volunteers fill our space with joy and encouragement as families choose quality backpacks and school supplies for their children. It's built around dignity, choice, and community. Not a handout. A celebration of a new beginning. This year, we're preparing to welcome more than 800 children. To do that, we need our community to show up once again. If you or your team can give a few hours to volunteer, we'd love to have you. And if you'd rather help provide the supplies that fill those backpacks, your financial support makes that possible. Details in the comments below. Every child deserves to begin the school year feeling confident and prepared. And every year, I'm reminded that when a community comes together with generosity and purpose, amazing things happen.
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School Store is almost here! There's still time to help local students start the school year with confidence. Volunteers are still needed on Saturday, July 25, to make this day special for every family. Donations are also needed to help us purchase the final school supplies. Together, we can help every student head back to school prepared, supported, and ready to learn. Give or volunteer today: https://lnkd.in/gRWXecKE
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We couldn't let this moment pass without saying thank you. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, your generosity will help fill grocery carts, stock shelves, and provide fresh, healthy food for families across Middle Tennessee. Every act of kindness creates a ripple effect, and yours will be felt by so many neighbors for months to come. From all of us at The Store... thank you for helping make our community stronger.
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Every child deserves to walk into the classroom feeling prepared, confident, and ready to learn. Through The Store's School Store, we're helping ensure families don't have to choose between putting food on the table and providing the school supplies their children need. Every backpack. Every water bottle. Every donation helps a student start the school year with dignity. Learn how you can support the School Store today: https://lnkd.in/gRWXecKE
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We love our quarterly Core Conversations virtual meetings! Interested in joining our next one? Find more info here: https://lnkd.in/gAYzzqMY
Yesterday morning our leadership team set aside the work that normally fills our calendars - receiving food deliveries, developing programs, recruiting volunteers, and solving the countless challenges that come with serving hundreds of families each week - to spend several hours with people who don't even live in our service area. Most will never volunteer at The Store. They'll likely never donate. They may never even walk through our doors again. And it was probably the most important meeting we had all week. Yesterday was our quarterly Core Conversations, where we invite nonprofit and public sector leaders from across the country to learn about The Store's free grocery model. Most have heard about us through word of mouth, the news, or social media and come with one question: How can we bring something like this to our community? We always begin in what might seem like an unexpected place. Not with our CRM. Not with food sourcing. Not with volunteer management or operations. We start with our values. Because if you begin with dignity and choice, the tactics follow. But if you start with tactics alone, it's easy to build an efficient system that never truly honors the people it's meant to serve. As we walk through our model, it can feel overwhelming for organizations that are just getting started. So we always encourage them not to replicate everything at once. Instead, choose one meaningful step. For many, that's replacing pre-packed food boxes with a shopping experience that allows neighbors to choose the food their families will actually eat. It's not the easiest change to make, but it may be one of the most transformative. One guest yesterday asked, "If we can raise the money and build the partnerships, would The Store ever come to our city?" I smiled and told him we'd love to keep dreaming together. Our founders have long said they would love to see a Store in every major city. I share that dream. Whether that means opening new locations ourselves, partnering with others, or simply sharing what we've learned, we believe every community deserves a food assistance model rooted in dignity, choice, and love. That's why Core Conversations matter. Because success for The Store isn't measured only by what happens inside our walls. It's also measured by the communities we may never serve directly - but who serve their neighbors differently because we were willing to share. Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday. If you're a nonprofit leader interested in learning more about our model, we'd love to welcome you to a future Core Conversations session.
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Partnerships like this remind us that lasting change is never the work of one organization alone. We're honored to partner with Women of Worth to help women rebuilding their lives access healthy food with dignity and choice. When basic needs are met, there's more room for healing, growth, and new beginnings. Together, we're helping build a community where every neighbor has the opportunity to move forward with hope. Thank you, Women of Worth, for the incredible work you do and for allowing us to be part of your mission.
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The Store reposted this
There’s something about Taylor and Travis’s gift that has meant just as much to us as the financial support. We are, of course, incredibly grateful for their generous and transformational gift. It will help us put healthy, fresh food into the hands of thousands of families for years to come. At a time when food prices continue to rise and more neighbors are turning to The Store than ever before, their generosity came at exactly the right moment. But there’s another part of this gift that has me just as excited. It’s the community that is growing because of it. Over the past few days, we’ve seen an incredible surge of interest in The Store. In just a short time, 136 people have signed up to attend one of our Lunch & Learn gatherings. Why? Because people want to be part of something that is making a difference. I imagine many were encouraged by Taylor and Travis’s decision to support The Store and saw their generosity as an invitation to get involved themselves. Their gift has done more than provide resources. It has helped introduce new people to a community that believes every neighbor deserves access to healthy food, dignity, and hope. That’s what community looks like. Two generous people use both their resources and their voices to help families facing food insecurity. Then others step forward, asking, “How can I help?” That ripple effect is powerful. Our next few Lunch & Learns are already full, and we couldn’t be more grateful. If you’d like to learn more about The Store and how you or your team can get involved, we’d love to welcome you to one of our October or November gatherings. This work has always been powered by neighbors looking after neighbors. It’s a beautiful reminder that generosity has a way of multiplying far beyond the original gift.
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