PHILADELPHIA -- Meeting the people he has met the past few years, Aaron Nola cannot help but see things differently.

“We’re spoiled sometimes, a lot of times,” Nola said. “Where we’re at right now, yeah, it’s a hard game and we worked hard to get here, but a lot of people, they don’t come up with some of the things that we come up with. They have to work hard to provide for their families and work hard every day just to survive. If we can help them out any way we can, that’s a plus. That’s what God wants us to do.”

The Phillies nominated Nola for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award for his work with the ALS Association’s Greater Philadelphia and Louisiana-Mississippi Chapters; the anti-bullying program “Shred Hate;” Philadelphia Futures, a high school mentoring organization that helps students gain admission to and succeed in college; Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization; Hospitality Assistance Response of Pennsylvania (HARP), which is helping restaurant workers during the COVID-19 crisis; and more.

• All-time Roberto Clemente Award winners

Nola talks about his work and commitment to these groups like he talks about his commitment to be one of the best pitchers in baseball.

“I feel like a lot of fans see what we do on the field, but I think it’s more important off the field -- as human beings -- what we want to do and what we’re able to do,” he said. “I think giving back off the field is real important. I’m grateful to use my platform on the field to help give back to others.”

• 2020 Clemente Award nominees

ALS is something particularly close to Nola’s heart. His uncle Alan was diagnosed with ALS about five years ago.

Nola and his brother Austin, who plays for the Padres, hosted the “Strike Out ALS” celebrity bowling event in January in Baton Rouge, La.

“ALS kind of hits me the hardest because when we have bad days, especially on the baseball field, there’s really no point for us to really hang our head because those guys are battling [for] life and they’re staying positive almost 100 percent of the time,” Nola said. “We’ve had guys talk to the team who have ALS. Gosh, it’s inspiring. We can all take something from it. It shows just how little baseball is compared to that.

“It’s not the end of the world if you give up five, eight, 10 runs. These people are battling every single day for a disease that has no cure. Their mental state is strong. If we look at that, that can change our outlook on everything. It’s changed my outlook on everything, especially baseball.”

The work will continue, too.

“It’s a priority,” he said. “I feel like it’s something that I think more guys need to do. I know a lot of guys do it, but we can use our platform to give back to others and do everything we can. It’s something that makes you feel good, too. You’re helping others. You’re helping some people who aren’t really able to help themselves. I think if we make that a priority, it can change your look on things. It can change your life.

“Baseball obviously is a hard game. It can bring you up; it can knock you down. But at the end of the day our goal is to help others. Do everything we can. Because baseball is not going to last forever. But what you do and how you do it can last a long time.”