NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For Gwendolyn Adams, each day feels a step closer to fourth grade.
At Coleman Community Center, she had a chance to pick out exactly what she wanted.
"I'm so excited," she said.
Those choices mean more than just school supplies. They mean a chance to shop with her grandma, Caroline Malone.
"I'm trying to get out to the stores and shop as well. For me, having a hard time this takes a lot of effort," Malone said.
But the smiles come easier here.
"Of course financially it takes the burden of having to worry about these things," Malone said.
It is a tough bill for families to foot each year. For some, one income has to stretch to cover it all.
The event was held at a store founded by country music star Brad Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley. The nonprofit helps 1,600 families shop for food each year.
"And this whole supply store also embodies the idea of choice, just like the store. People can come in and shop and have choices for what they want for their family," Brad Paisley said.
Brad Paisley said he hopes to help people get back on their feet because he understands what it means to a child.
"I remember going to school, and we had the ability as a family to buy the shoes I wanted, but that was a big deal, to go to the sporting goods store at the local mall and get a pair of shoes for the year… you just, you really do want a kid to not have to worry about that. And they have enough to worry about these things," Paisley said.
For Gwendolyn, the choice was clear.
"I love these shoes," she said. "I think I like these ones best."
Are you a Nashville-area family who has been helped by a community nonprofit, or do you know someone whose story deserves to be told? We want to hear from you. Watch the full video above to see Gwendolyn find her perfect pair of shoes — and reach out to share your story or thoughts with reporter Kim Rafferty at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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