Jelly Roll Donates 300 Thanksgiving Meals to Inmates and Staff at the Same Nashville Prison He Was Once Incarcerated In

There are few artists with as big of a heart as Jelly Roll, with the ‘Need a Favor’ hitmaker becoming synonymous with his various acts of philanthropy throughout the years.

This Thanksgiving, the Nashville native again embodied this and demonstrated his generous spirit by donating 300 holiday meals to the inmates and staff at a local prison. Although not specified, this is believed to be the Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility.

The Mayor of Nashville, Daron Hall, has shared a video highlighting Jelly's appearance at the prison, and expressing his immense gratitude for the country star's involvement.

Hall underlines how special and appreciated Jelly's prison visit was, “During this season, I’d like to give thanks for giving [Jelly Roll]. Last night, he provided a holiday meal to 300 inmates and staff on the same site where he was once incarcerated”.

What makes Jelly's Thanksgiving donation all the more touching is the fact that he was standing in the same prison the ‘Son of a Sinner’ singer-songwriter was once incarcerated in. Jelly has been open about his experience of being in and out of prison throughout his formative years until he was 23, and he has since made a concerted effort to give back to inmates and work to improve the criminal justice system. For example, over the course of his blockbuster Backroad Baptism Tour in 2023, Jelly raised a staggering $590,000 for at-risk youth in the USA.

It's evident that generosity runs in the family, with Jelly's wife and the host of the Dumb Blonde Podcast, Bunnie XO, also donating a plethora of meals during Thanksgiving. Bunnie revealed via TikTok that she helped to muster up holiday dinners for those at The Mary Parrish Center in Nashville, which helps victims of domestic abuse.

In a powerful video, Bunnie reflects, “As time has gone on, God has blessed me tremendously to continue bringing smiles to people’s faces. Yesterday I was so blessed to experience one of the most inspiring missions alongside my entire crew. It’s something that is so close to my heart and that I go into depth in my book about”.

She expands on how she feels divinely inspired to aid others in this way, “I walked away yesterday knowing my mission God assigned to me clearer [than] ever. I can’t wait to share with ya’ll and can only hope it touches your heart the way it did mine”.

Bunnie concludes, “I normally do my giving back quietly, but I had to bring y’all along on this journey. I can’t wait to help and shed light on this cause that is so dear to my heart”.

Although both Jelly and Bunnie are still regularly subjected to hate on social media and skepticism from country traditionalists, these acts of kindness serve as a timely reminder as to why Nashville is incredibly lucky to have the DeFords in its orbit. The husband-and-wife duo are beacons of light for those who are struggling through their respective platforms - Jelly with his music and Bunnie with her podcast - while they continue to carry out vital philanthropic work alongside this.

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