Wondering how to help? Start here.
“What’s the one thing you need most at The Store right now? What is most important right now?
”Someone asked me this at a recent “Meet The Store” session with our friends at the County Music Association. We’d just wrapped up a conversation about food insecurity, the 2,000+ households waiting for services, and the daily balancing act of serving with both dignity and urgency. It was a generous, honest question—the kind that comes from someone who really wants to help.
And I’ll be honest, my first instinct was to list all the practical needs: We need donations to expand our reach. OR We need more food drives to help fill our shelves. OR We need to find a company that will sponsor our upcoming event.
But instead, I landed on something different: Come volunteer. Just once. Sign up for a shift. See the Store in action.
Because here’s what I’ve learned: volunteering isn’t a side note in this work—it’s the doorway in.It’s how most of our long-term supporters found their way to us. Board members. Monthly donors. Corporate partners. Advocates. They didn’t start out with a five-year giving plan. They just showed up. For one shift. And something changed.
They stocked shelves and met neighbors. They heard customer stories. They witnessed the quiet joy of choice—the dignity of selecting food for your family without shame. They came in to help and walked out changed.
At The Store, we’re playing the long game. We’re not just fighting hunger—we’re building a community where people belong, where support is relational not transactional. And that starts with people who come close enough to see.
Volunteering also does something beautiful: it creates connection.
Between neighbors. Between coworkers. Between strangers who find themselves packing produce and talking about life. It builds empathy not by instruction, but through experience.
So if you’re wondering where to begin, if the scale of community hunger feels overwhelming and you’re not sure how to help—start there.
Give a few hours. Come meet us. Come meet the work.Because when people experience the mission in motion, they don’t just lend a hand—they find their place.
Thanks you so much for CMA for hosting us and a special thanks to Emily Schleh and LeighAnn Rodd.
At a recent “Meet The Store” session with our friends at CMA, someone asked: “What’s the one thing you need most right now?” The answer? Come volunteer. Just once. See the work in action. Because volunteering isn’t just helpful—it’s transformative. It’s how so many of our supporters found their way in: one shift, one connection, one moment that changed everything. At The Store, we’re building more than food security—we’re building community. And it starts with showing up.
More from The Store
When Benefits Disappear, Families Go Hungry: Why It’s “Unconscionable”
With hunger at a 10-year high and food costs climbing, families in Nashville are facing impossible choices as critical benefits are slashed. A front-page story in The Tennessean highlighted The Store’s perspective on what this means for our neighbors—like the mom who feeds children at a daycare but can’t afford food for her own, or the server who delivers meals all night and comes home to an empty table. At The Store, we believe it’s unconscionable to take food from families already struggling to survive. This blog unpacks the reality of the “benefits cliff,” the growing crisis of hunger, and why proximity and shared values must guide how we respond.
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Who Gets Groceries? The Hardest Question We Face at The Store
Every week, The Store wrestles with an impossible question: With so many waiting for food, how do you decide who gets to come? Our CEO shares how we make these tough choices—prioritizing referrals from trusted partner agencies, managing a waitlist of over 2,000 families, and expanding to new locations so no one has to wait for a basic human need. This post sheds light on the heartbreaking realities of hunger, the importance of working together, and our vision for a community where no family has to wonder if food will be there tomorrow.
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