Brad Paisley and Wife Kimberly Join Fight Against Global Hunger
The superstar couple explain how global problems have local solutions.
The holidays are traditionally a time to give back to those around us, and especially in 2020, the number of families going hungry is greater than ever. So country star Brad Paisley and his Hollywood actress wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, have called on us all to help.
Joining global humanitarian organization CARE for a virtual conversation about the global hunger crisis on Monday (December 14), the husband and wife shared their thoughts on why everyone should care about those experiencing food insecurity — even if they’re on the other side of the world.
“There are many reasons why we should care about people in developing countries and work around the world for peace everywhere — especially as it relates to hunger and the needs of families and children,” Williams-Paisley told the video call. “Anytime I see a mother trying to provide for her child, I relate to that, but beyond that … it directly impacts the U.S. when other countries are stable and self sufficient. … We need to address [hunger] all around the world. We need both to act locally and act globally. It doesn’t matter where people are. If someone is hungry, they are hungry. Food is a human need that is the same for all of us.”
But the Paisley’s didn’t just intend to call out the problem, and also talked about what they’ve been doing to help back home. They helped open up a free grocery store called The Store in Nashville last year, and once the pandemic hit, they went into overdrive. Paisley and his partners arranged for seniors to get their groceries delivered in order to avoid exposing themselves to COVID-19, and the couple explained even small efforts like that have a big impact.
“Through The Store, we learned a lot about the importance of the community,” said the “No I in Beer” singer. “We’re providing this service, but we need partners, we need other organizations to help fill the need. It’s for the community, by the community.
“Our delivery system got started because of my music producer, Luke Wooten, who saw a need for making deliveries to the elderly at the onset of the pandemic,” Brad Paisley went on. “He said I have a studio full of interns who would be working on recording sessions and they all want to help. Can we just start delivering to those who need it? And I said, “Yeah!” And that’s how our delivery system got started, another example of the community support.”
Food insecurity is projected to affect 50 million Americans and 2 billion people around the world this year due to the pandemic, and if you’d like to get involved, visit the CARE website.
