SAN DIEGO -- San Diego is embracing Drew Pomeranz as the top lefty bullpen weapon on the best Padres team in at least a decade.

Clearly, Pomeranz is embracing San Diego in return.

The veteran pitcher was one of the most active Padres in the community during his first stint in San Diego in 2016. He signed a four-year contract with San Diego again during the past offseason, and he has picked up right where he left off.

Last week, Pomeranz was named the Padres' Roberto Clemente Award nominee, given annually to a player who demonstrates the values Clemente displayed in his commitment to community.

"I love it here, still love it here," Pomeranz said. "That's part of the reason we wanted to help out in this community. Playing here has done a lot of good things for me. I wanted to give back."

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This year, Pomeranz partnered with the Padres Foundation to provide meals for hundreds of health-care workers in San Diego who are working the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was an idea that came about on what would've been Opening Day when the Padres committed meals to frontline workers. Pomeranz collaborated with the team's community group to extend those efforts.

"Those people were going through a lot, a lot of stress, and anything you can do to just help them out," Pomeranz said. "I started thinking, ‘Can we do something like this but on a little bigger scale?’ And that's kind of how we came up with it."

Pomeranz also assisted local charities in helping deliver groceries to more than 600 cancer patients.

On top of that, Pomeranz has been active in such events as the Special Olympics and in providing support for local businesses and restaurants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pomeranz is one of two Clemente Award nominees on the Padres -- the only team in baseball with more than one. Mitch Moreland received the nomination for his charitable efforts in Boston before he was traded to the Padres last week.

Pomeranz is pleased with his decision to sign with San Diego. On top of his charitable efforts, he hasn't allowed a run in 14 appearances this season. He has been a huge part of the Padres' breakout season -- the type of breakout season Pomeranz says he always envisioned.

Pomeranz said he had “a lot of belief” in what general manager A.J. Preller was building in San Diego.

"You could kind of see it over the last few years,” Pomeranz said, “just the stockpiling of players and the contracts that they've been signing guys to here -- really good players. You could just see it all building into what you hoped to be a winning season, a season to get to the playoffs and through the playoffs.

"I think what we're seeing is A.J.'s plan falling into place. It doesn't always work like that. But you take all of those things and put them together, and that's why we've been so successful. We're in a really good position where we've got a lot of good players -- and a lot of good players who are going to be here for a long time."