Tita and Osvaldo, along with their two boys, Massimo and Danilo, came to the United States from Ancona, Italy, in 1973. They worked with family at Mom & Dad’s in Tallahassee until they moved to Thomasville in 1977. After 40 years of business, Mom & Dad’s Restaurant continues to thrive, thanks to its longtime customer base and loyal staff. We are a purveyor of homemade Italian recipes to Thomasville and the surrounding cities. Danilo, his wife, Anna, and their children, Anthony and Daniella, who can be found in the restaurant every morning and night, carry on that tradition. Mom & Dad’s is one of three family-owned restaurants, with a location in Valdosta, Georgia, owned by Massimo Pistelli, his wife Cindy, and his children Giuseppe and Vito, and a Mom & Dad’s restaurant in Lady Lake, Florida, owned by Danilo’s cousin Elaina Tucker and her family. Mom & Dad’s in Tallahassee has been sold and is no longer affiliated with our family and its long history, previously owned by Danilo’s aunt and uncle, Diana and Gary McLean, who are now retired and living in Tallahassee. Family legacies and traditions still are found in all three Mom & Dad’s. We believe in the wonderful fellowship that a handcrafted meal can create and we are dedicated to providing our customers with quality service in an environment that feels like home. To our loyal customers we want to say thank you for 40 wonderful years and look forward to sharing 40 more years with you and new patrons alike!

Eliza will discuss how Second Harvest of Southwest GA has handled Covid 19 and the needs of the community.

Steve Depaola is a professor in the psychology program at Thomas University. He received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Memphis and has 18 publications and over 53 conference presentations focusing on issues such as death and dying, domestic violence, and elder abuse. Additionally, he was a Long-term Care Ombudsman for the state of Georgia covering Thomas and Grady County for over 4 years. He is a board member of the following organizations in Thomasville: Halcyon Home, United Way, The Alzheimer’s Association, Easter Seals, and The Southwest Georgia ESL Roundtable. Steve is also on the executive council of the Georgia Psychological Society.