‘Lombo’ and Screech Deliver Early Thanksgiving

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This week, the Nationals continued their annual Thanksgiving tradition of giving by once again volunteering at Food & Friends, a community organization that provides home-delivered, specialized meals and life-sustaining nutrition to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses.

Nationals infielder Stephen Lombardozzi and team mascot Screech joined 30 staff members from the team’s front office on Monday, November 21, to prepare Thanksgiving boxes for some of the 800 Food & Friends clients who will receive the meals during the upcoming holiday.

“This visit was a lot of fun,” said Lombardozzi, a 2007 graduate of Atholton High School in Columbia, Md., and winner of the 2011 Nationals Minor League Player of the Year award.  “It felt great helping to make sure hundreds of families will have a great Thanksgiving.”

This marks the fourth year that the Nationals have visited Food & Friends, with Lombardozzi and the volunteers taking on various tasks around the kitchen like preparing turkeys and packing sweet potatoes and corn. Each meal will serve four people and includes a 10-12lb turkey, sides and pie for dessert. Nationals staff also helped pack pre-made meals for Food & Friends beneficiaries.

Since 1988, Food & Friends has provided food and companionship to clients and their loved ones and caregivers throughout the year. The organization relies heavily on volunteers to serve more than 1 million meals a year to clients throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. To get involved, go to www.foodandfriends.org for more information.