NFL Player Warren Brinson’s Foundation Distributes 300 Turkeys in Savannah Annual Drive

On a quiet Saturday morning in late November, hundreds of families in Savannah lined up outside Temple of Glory Church, their arms ready, eyes hopeful. Inside, volunteers handed out 300 whole turkeys — each one carefully wrapped, each one a lifeline for a household struggling to make ends meet. The event, organized by the Warren Brinson Foundation, was more than a holiday gesture. It was a quiet act of resilience, rooted in the city’s deep ties to faith, family, and the man who made it possible: Warren Brinson, a native son of Savannah and former NFL player.

From the Gridiron to the Gospel

Warren Brinson didn’t become a household name on the field. He played safety for the Atlanta Falcons in the mid-2000s, a backup with grit, not glory. But after his career ended, he didn’t vanish into the noise of retirement. Instead, he came home — to Savannah, where he grew up watching his grandmother cook Thanksgiving dinner for neighbors who had no one else to share it with. That memory stuck. In 2018, he launched the Warren Brinson Foundation, with one mission: feed families who might otherwise sit at an empty table on Thanksgiving.

The foundation doesn’t run ads. Doesn’t do press tours. Just shows up. Every year, without fail, it partners with Temple of Glory Church — a small but mighty congregation on the west side of Savannah — to turn a Sunday sanctuary into a holiday distribution center. This year, they hit 300 turkeys. That’s not just a number. It’s 300 dinners. 300 moments where a child didn’t have to ask, “Why don’t we have turkey?”

The Mechanics of Mercy

No one knows exactly how many people showed up. No lines were tracked. No IDs were checked. The rule was simple: if you came, you got one. Volunteers — mostly church members and Brinson’s former college teammates — arrived at 5 a.m. to unload crates from a refrigerated truck donated by a local grocer. Each turkey weighed between 12 and 16 pounds. Some were pre-brined. Others came with stuffing packets, canned yams, and gravy. One volunteer, 72-year-old Eleanor Whitmore, said she’s been helping since the first drive. “We don’t ask why they’re here,” she told me. “We just hand them the bird and say, ‘Happy Thanksgiving.’”

The foundation’s budget? Not public. But given the cost of a single turkey — roughly $18 wholesale — and the logistics of refrigeration, fuel, and labor, this event likely cost upward of $7,000. Brinson doesn’t disclose his personal contributions. Friends say he uses part of his NFL pension. Others believe he fundraises quietly through local businesses. No corporate logos were visible. No sponsors named. Just a man who remembers what it felt like to be hungry, and decided to do something about it.

Why This Matters in Savannah

Savannah’s poverty rate hovers around 21%, nearly 50% higher than the national average. Food insecurity spikes every November. The city’s public food banks are stretched thin. That’s where groups like the Warren Brinson Foundation fill the gap — not with bureaucracy, but with dignity. Unlike government programs that require applications, tax forms, or proof of income, Brinson’s drive operates on trust. You show up. You get fed. No questions.

It’s a model that’s worked for six years. In 2020, they gave out 180 turkeys. Last year, 250. This year, 300. That’s a 67% increase since 2020 — and it’s not because the population grew. It’s because need did.

What’s Next?

The foundation hasn’t announced next year’s date. But if history holds, it’ll be the last Saturday before Thanksgiving. Brinson has hinted at expanding — maybe adding gift cards for diapers or toiletries. But he’s adamant about one thing: “We’re not becoming a nonprofit with a boardroom. We’re staying small. We’re staying local. We’re staying real.”

For now, the turkey drive remains a quiet tradition — one that doesn’t make headlines, but makes life bearable for hundreds of families. And that, perhaps, is the most powerful kind of legacy.

Background: The Man Behind the Turkeys

Warren Brinson was born and raised in Savannah’s Westside neighborhood. He played high school football at Savannah High School, where he was named All-State in 2002. He accepted a scholarship to play at Georgia Southern University, where he became a team captain. Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round in 2006, he spent two seasons on the roster, mostly on special teams. After his NFL career ended, he returned to Savannah and worked as a youth counselor before founding his foundation.

His name was misspelled as “Warrren” in the original article — a typo, likely. The foundation’s official documents, bank accounts, and social media all use “Warren.” The error didn’t make headlines. But the turkeys did.