Brinker was a retired grandma when she founded Project Open Hand. Project Open Hand is a service designed to deliver food to people with HIV/AIDS. Project Open Hand currently supports many other diseases. Brinker is known for helping people with HIV and AIDS through her foundation. She was able to get volunteers and inspire projects like Project Open Hand in other places around the world. She also had a farm called Fresh Start Farms. It grew expensive and fancy vegetables for high-end restaurants. Brinker would only hire refugees and people coming out of homelessness. 