You may not know this, but Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift have been longtime friends since 2007. When Taylor opened for Brad on his Bonfires and Amplifiers Tour back in the day, she learned a lot. The global superstar has cited Brad Paisley as a mentor, showing her how to treat a crew while on tour. "He's so down to earth," a young Swift said of Paisley in an interview that year.
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Now, it seems that nearly two decades later, Swift and Brad still have an appreciation for each other. Just this week, Brad and his wife, Kimberly Paisley, opened the second location of their nonprofit, The Store. The organization focuses on fighting food insecurity in Middle Tennessee. Brad and Kimberly learned that Swift had made a generous donation to their organization and took to social media to show their gratitude on Saturday.
"We're incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift for including The Store in her year-end giving," the post reads. "Her generous gift helps us continue providing groceries with dignity and choice to families across Middle Tennessee, especially as we prepare to open our second location," the caption read. "Thank you, Taylor, for using your voice and generosity to uplift neighbors in need."
Kimberly also thanked Taylor Swift in a video on social media, saying, "I am so grateful to Taylor Swift. This is a gift that came out of the blue. We were not expecting it, and to know that she's aware of the work we're doing and that she supports it was incredible."
"We'd love to give her a tour of this space!"
How the Store Bounced Back After a 2020 Tornado
Brad and Kimberly Paisley opened the first The Store location on March 12, 2020, just ten days after a tornado had struck the Nashville area. The natural disaster turned out to be an excellent opportunity for The Store not only to raise awareness of its cause, but also to help those in need. Since they couldn't use their new location at the time, The Store developed an overnight curbside pickup program to deliver groceries to those who needed them. It was a huge success.
"I knew there was a need, but it's not until you open something like this that you really see it," Brad shared with NBC Nightly News at the time. "People were in tears. It was really a rewarding thing in the middle of one of the most challenging times we've ever seen."
The Store's second location is in Nashville, Tennessee, at Tristar Centennial Medical Center, for those who want to visit or donate to the cause.
