NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Store & Snore, a locally owned downtown Nashville luggage storage business and a member of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp's Music City Chart Climbers program, is launching Carry On, Nashville in partnership with veteran-owned Nashville Adventures. The community initiative will provide 25 rolling suitcases and 100 pairs of warm socks to 25 Nashville neighbors experiencing homelessness, handed out in person at Restoration Pointe on Thursday, December 3.
Nashville Adventures has already purchased the 100 pairs of socks. Each of the 25 recipients will receive a rolling suitcase and four pairs of warm socks. Now the partners are inviting the community to donate new or gently used rolling suitcases.
Store & Snore spends every day keeping visitors' bags safe so they can explore the city. For some neighbors experiencing homelessness, a single bag may hold nearly everything they own. A sturdy suitcase with wheels offers a more functional way to move clothing, personal essentials and treasured belongings, helping keep them together without placing their full weight on a person's back or shoulders.
"I started Store & Snore with one simple goal: to make life a little easier for people visiting Nashville. Now, through Carry On, Nashville, we're extending that same care to the people who call this city home. For some of our neighbors experiencing homelessness, everything they own fits inside a single bag. Imagine carrying the weight of your entire life on your shoulders, every single day. We may not be able to change someone's circumstances overnight, but we can help lighten their load, protect what matters most, and remind them that they are seen, valued, and not forgotten. Because every bag holds a story, and every story matters," said Melody Pinkard, founder of Store & Snore.
"In the Army you learn fast that dry socks and a solid bag are not small things," said Paul Whitten, founder of Nashville Adventures and a U.S. Army veteran. "Melody and I have offices down the hall from each other at Venture X. We said, let's stop talking about it and do something. Two small businesses can't fix homelessness. We can get rolling suitcases and warm socks to people who need them before the cold hits."
OUR PARTNER: RESTORATION POINTE
The suitcases and socks will go to Restoration Pointe, which runs a Clothes Closet on Thursday mornings serving 80 to 90 men and women, and a community meal on Tuesdays and Thursdays serving as many as 190 people. Restoration Pointe's Clothes Closet team will identify the 25 neighbors who will benefit most, and Store & Snore and Nashville Adventures will hand out the suitcases and socks in person on December 3.
Nashville's annual Point-in-Time Count found 2,298 people experiencing homelessness, 655 of them unsheltered, according to Metro's Office of Homeless Services.
HOW THE COMMUNITY CAN HELP
- Donate a suitcase. New or gently used rolling suitcases, preferably 22 to 26 inches tall, with working wheels, handles and zippers.
- Drop off donations. Bring suitcases to Store & Snore at the Venture X Building, 159 4th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37219, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., November 2 through December 2. Call or text (615) 218-8010 on arrival and a team member will meet you at the entrance.
- Get $5 off a tour. Everyone who donates a suitcase gets $5 off any Nashville Adventures tour as a thankyou.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Store & Snore will coordinate collection, tracking and storage of donated suitcases. The partners will share progress along the way and deliver the luggage and socks at Restoration Pointe on Thursday, December 3.
A NOTE FOR MEDIA
Media are welcome at the December 3 handout. Out of respect for the people we are serving, we ask that coverage focus on the drive, the donors and the community partners who made it happen, not on the individuals receiving items. Please do not photograph, film or interview recipients. We are glad to arrange photos and interviews with the founders, volunteers and Restoration Pointe staff, along with shots of the donated suitcases. Please contact either media contact below before attending.
ABOUT STORE & SNORE
Founded in 2024 by Melody Pinkard, Store & Snore is a locally owned luggage storage business in downtown Nashville, steps from Broadway. It offers secure luggage storage before checkin or after checkout, along with pickup and delivery, helping visitors explore Music City without managing their bags. storeandsnore.com
ABOUT NASHVILLE ADVENTURES
Founded in 2023 by U.S. Army veteran Paul Whitten, Nashville Adventures offers walking tours, ghost tours, pub crawls and corporate experiences centered on Nashville's stories. The veteran-owned company has welcomed more than 25,000 guests and gives 1% back to the community. nashvilleadventures.com
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