Justin Turner was named the Dodgers’ 2020 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, which didn’t come as a tremendous shock to his manager.

“He and [his wife] Kourtney do just amazing things in the community and are always serving,” said Dave Roberts. “It’s just remarkable how he can balance a Major League Baseball season and still serve the community. He just does a fantastic job.”

The Roberto Clemente Award is baseball’s most prestigious individual honor for Major Leaguers, as it recognizes a player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

That would be Turner, the epitome of a Dodger -- a Southern California native who still lives there, an All-Star on the field, leader in the clubhouse and the community. In his seventh season as a Dodger, Justin and Kourtney run the Justin Turner Foundation, whose mission is to support homeless veterans, children (and their families) battling life-altering illnesses and diseases, as well as running various youth baseball organizations.

“When you start out you want to hold events and you don’t always have the courage to do it,” said Turner. “But once you do it and see the impact it has on the lives of the kids or families or the homeless veterans -- whoever it may be that day -- you see how special it is for those individuals and it drives you to want to do more. It’s been awesome to see it grow. It’s become addictive to us.

“To [be nominated for] the Clemente Award, it’s something that means a lot to Kourt and I. We take a lot of pride in giving back to the community and finding ways to serve and help people and lift people up in times of need. To be nominated on a team full of guys who are really excellent in helping out this community is pretty special to us.”

When the pandemic hit, the Turners spent the quarantine at home working to support small businesses, while at the same time providing hot meals to the Los Angeles Dream Center, which fed over 12,000 individuals per day. Teammates joined the effort, helping to keep restaurants in business and feed those experiencing food insecurity as Los Angeles’ unemployment rate rose. The Turners served at the drive-through food distribution, which operated 11 hours a day, seven days a week, donating an estimated 900,000 meals during the 82-day effort, culminating with the Dream Center naming its food bank The Justin & Kourtney Turner Food Bank.

“There’s always a need,” said Turner. “If you’re willing to do it and to reach out to them, the Dream Center will find a way for you to serve the community. Kourtney takes the reins on everything; she’s unbelievable. She always comes up in the clutch and gets it done. There would be no Justin Turner Foundation if it wasn’t for her.”

In addition to his efforts at the Dream Center, Justin donated meals to doctors, nurses and staff at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), where Justin, Kourtney and the Justin Turner Foundation have been added to the “Spotlight Wall” in recognition of their philanthropy. They served as Honorary Hosts for their Walk and Play LA event the past two years, helping raise critical funds for the hospital. They hosted CHLA’s Winter Wonderland during the holidays for hundreds of patients. The Turners also visit patients at Cedars Sinai Hospital and UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital and serve on the board of UCLA Health’s Operation Mend, which provides healthcare and social support for wounded warriors and their families.

His support of Operation Mend is just one of Turner’s contributions to the military community, with an annual golf classic to help support that mission. Additionally, Justin has annually championed AM 570’s Veterans Day Radio-a-thon, which has benefited Paralyzed Veterans of America, as well as the Dream Center’s Veteran’s Program. Turner has also been instrumental in the Dream Center’s programming for veterans and helped support the opening of their Women Veterans Program in 2018, which helps aid women with the difficult transition from military to civilian life. He also created a Military Monday program prior to the 2019 season, where through social media he solicits nominations and then selects a military family to receive an all-inclusive gameday experience at each Monday home game.

“I really feel it’s an obligation on our part as athletes, who are so lucky to get to play a game for a living, to make sure we get out there and give back,” Turner said.