By BARBARA POLICHETTI

Beacon Media Staff Writer

Richard DelFino Jr., director of the Johnston Senior Center, woke up last Friday sure he was late for something important.

He was.  It was the day he was supposed to make a May breakfast for his staff.  And although it may not sound like a critical task, it’s very important to DelFino that he always find time to show his staff that he appreciates them and the work that they do taking care of the town’s older residents.

So, as soon as he arrived at the center on Hartford Avenue, he donned an apron and set out scrambling eggs and cooking bacon while the kitchen staff looked on with approval.  Once breakfast was cooked, it was set up buffet style in one of the center conference rooms where the employees could sit down an enjoy the good food and each other’s company.

“This little May breakfast is just a way of saying thank you to my staff for what they do,” DelFino said. “It’s a labor of love,”

It was clearly appreciated as staffers sat around a long table with DelFino and talked about their jobs, which are second or third careers for many of them.  Most said they’ve found a sense of family and belonging working at the center --- the same sense of family they hope that clients find.

Michael Pingitore, who is retired from a career in plumbing and heating, is now a volunteer driver for the Senior Center, responsible for taking clients on trips in one of the center’s 14-passenger mini-buses.  He loves it, he said, not only because he is helping people, but because the ‘job’ helped him find a new sense of purpose after health issues caused him to his retire.

“I love being here,” he said as other staff members nodded in agreement.

The Johnston Senior Center is a non-profit organization that operates with funding from the town augmented by federal and state grants, plus donations.  It has tax-exempt status which helps with fundraising.

“No one is going to get rich working here,” DelFino said, “but we love what we do.”

Delfino’s collaborative stye and the appreciation he shows for his staff plays a big part in the esprit de corps that the employees share, they said. 

DelFino, who was appointed by Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr., took on the job a little more than two years ago.  A former employee of the Department of Corrections who worked in probation and parole, he has said in the past that it is important for people to feel valued, whatever stage of live they are at -- and that goes for his staff as well as his senior clients.

“Everyone is welcome here,” he said of the center which is thriving with nearly 3,000 members and weekday lunch crowds that typically number at least 100 people.

Rebecca Rotondo dressed up for the May breakfast in a tailored business outfit accented with silver jewelry, but she said that people wouldn’t recognize her a little while later when she changed her clothes and suited up for her role as a dishwasher in the kitchen. 

Rotondo has held several executive jobs, including serving as an executive assistant in the U.S. attorney’s office in Rhode Island. But, says she wouldn’t trade her current gig where she where she wears a rubber apron, long rubber gloves and water-proof shoes as she feeds racks of dishes through the commercial dishwasher in the senior center.

“I love it, it’s my own little world” she said.  “And Richard has a lot to do with why it’s so good to work here.”

DelFino said that’s why he’s always looking for ways to thank his staff, even if it’s a simple May breakfast on a Friday morning. “Nobody’s here for a pot of gold,” he said, “but it’s important that they know they are appreciated.”

In addition to eggs and bacon, his robust breakfast menu included home fries, sausage and miniature waffles that could be topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream. 

Kathy Yankee, kitchen manager at the center, gave him two thumbs up for his culinary efforts.  “He can cook, and he’s got a good attitude and work ethic,” she said with a laugh. “We’d hire him.”