Brandon Powell is just like the rest of us.

The 29-year-old Vikings wide receiver's favorite Thanksgiving dish is the most popular main course: turkey. This season, he's preparing to feast in Minnesota – and wants to add a star to his cooking résumé.

"I'm trying to make it myself this year," Powell said nervously, unsure how he'll pull it off but committed to the attempt. "That's about the only thing I'm going to try to cook is a turkey, but I need it deep fried.

"I'm talking to my grandma now, trying to get the whole recipe – where she puts the seasoning and everything," he added. "That's the one thing I'm going to make myself this year, being I can't go home."

Ironically, as Powell speaks about his Thanksgiving ideas, there's a homeyness in the air, almost overpowering an aroma of turkey, mashed taters and gravy and other savory sides infiltrating noses.

It's 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, and Powell is taking a respite from serving a Thanksgiving meal to 70 odd young people, plus more than a dozen parents, at the Mount Airy Boys & Girls Club in St. Paul. In a roundabout way, he's returned to his roots.

"Brandon has been supporting the clubs for the duration of his time with the Vikings. Last year, he came through and he supported us at another Thanksgiving event. He did kind of a Shop with a Jock opportunity for a lot of those kids, as well," Director of Corporate and Public Relations of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities Tim Schober imparted. "It's awesome, especially the story he brings because he's a club alum, so being able to share that has been tremendous."

Obviously, crowds gravitate to Powell because of his status as a football player. His status as a former club member, however, made it easier for him to find common ground with the young people.

That connection amplified the purposefulness of Powell's appearance, too.

"He really is authentic in his interest and his passion and his caring for these young people," Schober said. "He's meeting them where they're at, trying to understand who they are, what their passions and interests are, and then he wants to share his story. That's the thing that's really important here is that they know him as a football player – they see him every Sunday, they're like, 'Hey, there's No. 4, I know this guy.' – but now they actually see that human side of him, and when they see him actually giving back, it really humanizes him. And that's where he can say, 'Hey, look, I'm not just this football player.' "

Playing for the Vikings is Powell's job, but it doesn't begin to quantify his character.

He's big-hearted and kind; he's easy-going and patient, and mindful of the power he wields.

Before walking through a buffet-style line in the cafeteria to receive helpings of food placed in tin trays, youth fidgeted in a game room, and several shot hands above their heads in hopes of getting to ask Powell a question. The inquisitiveness was funny: What do you have to do when you need to use the bathroom during a play? Can you bring Justin Jefferson with you next time? What was it like playing the Packers? Powell enjoyed the unfiltered queries, laughing through every response.

It's because Powell relates to the club lifestyle – sometimes spending nearly as many hours there as home and having snacks and dinners with friends more than family members – and recognizes its value.

"Back then it used to be just pizza. Everybody was going crazy with some pizza," Powell said. "So it's kind of cool doing this and coming back here now and being able to do the same thing that I did as a kid."

Schober added the following of Powell's attendance:

"It's fantastic. It shines a light on our young people. They're able to now go out to their families and to their communities and back to school and say, 'You know who I met? I met Brandon Powell.' … It's validating all the hard work they're doing here in the club. What it's telling these young people is that what I'm doing here is important, that I matter and that I'm seen."

When Powell was an impressionable teen in South Florida, he fell in love with competition at the Boys & Girls Club of Broward County, frequenting the after-school spot from around age 10 until the ninth grade. He used to take visits with the club to the Miami Dolphins facilities and Miami Heat practices. Those trips motivated him; they encouraged him to strive for a life many kids dream about but struggle to conceive.

Even in the summers, Powell thirsted for the playground. Now, he reckons it was his proving ground, which is why experiencing similar sights and sounds at a Boys & Girls Club in a state that appreciates him for his hard work on the field and in the community is so special. Powell wore these shoes at one point.

"Man, these kids, a lot of them really don't have the opportunity to be able to go right down the street to a Minnesota Vikings game," Powell humbly stated. "So being able to come here and just to be around them, so they can be around a professional athlete – that might be all the motivation one of these kids needs. Taking pictures with them today they might be able to show their mom or dad – show [the photo] to them 10 years from now – and it's like now they're a college football player or a college basketball [player], whatever it is, just because they got the motivation from being around a professional athlete."

"You better believe they're gonna be bragging about it when they go to school!" Schober exclaimed.

Powell sees himself in the youth.

A cousin of Powell's included him in sports with peers sometimes 3-4 years older. That group pushed Powell on grass and courts, toward the path that led him to an opportunity as big as an NFL career.

"Those were the guys that were making sure you're OK, like you're not getting into any trouble. It was those dudes you looked up to," Powell remembered, smiling about where he was standing. "We used to be dying to go to the Boys & Girls Club because we used to play football and basketball all day.

"We'd go there and get in trouble when we got home because our clothes were dirty," Powell continued. "We were out there tackling [each other], sweating so bad and messing up our shoes playing basketball."

Powell attributes his competitiveness to experiences at the Boys & Girls Clubs, and he credits his grandma – who hopefully gives him some great cooking tips – with instilling in him a spirit of generosity.

"She was just always nice to people," Powell reflected. "And, you know, now, that's one thing she preaches to me – just be nice to people, be kind, and God will reward you. And that's all I'm trying to do; just give back, wherever it is, whoever it is. I've been blessed so far, man. I'm just gonna keep doing it."

Van Ginkels support Little Earth families

Andrew Van Ginkel and his wife Sam understand firsthand the impact of receiving community support.

The Vikings outside linebacker's hometown of Rock Valley, Iowa, was hit earlier this year with devastating flood waters, and the Van Ginkels have been incredibly grateful for an outpouring of support. That experience has inspired Andrew and Sam to start the groundwork on their own nonprofit, the Van Ginkel Impact Foundation, and to be actively involved in multiple efforts throughout the Twin Cities community.

They most recently visited the Little Earth Boys & Girls Club, where they spent time with families and served up a Thanksgiving meal catered by Apple Spice.

Andrew manned the turkey station and scooped mashed potatoes and gravy, while Sam enjoyed dishing stuffing, her personal favorite Thanksgiving dish, and steamed veggies. One young man even came back for seconds and then thirds of the cauliflower, broccoli and carrots mix, clearly impressing the mother of two.

Andrew enjoyed watching the youngest children light up with excitement as he reached across to ladle hot gravy across piles of potatoes.

"A lot of these kids are at risk, so just trying to bring a joy and excitement to their faces is important," Andrew said. "If there's any way to brighten up their day and provide that meal to them … have a little conversation, sign autographs, take pictures.

"Truly, that's what it's all about," he added. "Having this platform playing in NFL, I want to be able to use it to make a difference."

Schober appreciated that Andrew and Sam set the evening aside to serve together as a couple.

"It just amplifies that importance of family, especially this time of year," he said. "We absolutely love it. We were able to do a handful of these a year, but we have 13 locations, so it's always special to be able to move it around so each of these communities, each club, gets to share in the excitement of bringing a player in and then having a great meal like this during the holiday season."

Amanda Valdivie has seen the way Vikings players have positively influenced the community for years.

Having grown up in a Twin Cities Boys & Girls Club from age 6 to 18, and now working as a teen specialist for Lyra Health, Valdivie is incredibly thankful for athletes like Andrew who make an effort to support those in need.

"When I was a kid, I didn't have anything besides the Boys & Girls Clubs. If it wasn't for the Boys & Girls Clubs, I would be a lost cause," Valdivie said. "I would have been out doing drugs; I would have been out on the streets. But the Boys & Girls Clubs really turned my life around as a child to who I am today.

"They had a big, bright impact on my life," she continued. "Their programming, all of the things kids come here to do, they have intention behind it. They truly care about the people they work with every day. They have emotions and heart behind it."

The Van Ginkels are proud to join in the Boys & Girls Clubs' mission.

The 2024 season marks Andrew's first with the Vikings, but he and Sam have greatly enjoyed being back in the region and are grateful for the organization's culture and values outside of football.

Andrew called the Vikings "first class," noting the $50,000 donation Owners Mark and Zygi Wilf gave to the Rock Valley relief efforts.

"And then the guys on this team are continuously giving back, too," he said. "Being here at the Boys & Girls Club, or Sam and I have been to the children's hospital a couple of times, and they'll say, 'Oh, this [Viking] was just here the other day.' They're all [making an effort].

"The community, 'Minnesota nice,' it's true," Andrew added. "It's part of the culture in the building and this Vikings organization, and it's something I want to do myself to make an impact."