Logan County seniors show their love to departing director Dom Dalpoas

[December 18, 2017] 

LINCOLN

On Sunday afternoon a large crowd of people turned out to wish Dom Dalpoas well as an important chapter in the history of the Oasis Senior Center comes to a close. Dalpoas, who in the early days of his career at the Oasis often told the story of how he almost accidentally became the director at the Oasis, is retiring at the end of this month.

The Oasis will move forward with a new director, Nancy Cunningham. Cunningham is already on the job working through the month of December with Dalpoas in order to execute a smooth transition.

On Sunday afternoon, folks gathered quickly at the beginning of the reception for Dalpoas. The guest of honor stood at the front of the room near the refreshment tables greeting folks as they came in the door. Many had hardy handshakes or hugs for Dalpoas, and some enjoyed sharing tidbits of their memory of Dalpoas as the director of the Oasis over the last few years.

Guests were encouraged to enjoy a choice of white or chocolate cake along with a selection of Christmas fudges and peanut brittle. Members of the LCHS National Honor Society assisted with clearing tables and offered a helping hand to guests.

About forty minutes into the reception, Dalpoas was joined by Oasis board members Dortha Seeley and Larry Howen, who had a few special words to share and presented Dalpoas with a gift.

Seeley said that on behalf of the board and the volunteers, she wanted to thank Dom for all he has done. She added, “We will miss you tremendously, but hope you have a great retirement. We also hope to see you back here soon as a volunteer.”

She turned the microphone over to Larry Howen, who presented Dalpoas with a card containing a bonus check. Howen said, “On behalf of the board we have this presentation for you, for all the work you have done over and above what we normally expect of someone. You went out of your way to make the Oasis what it is today, one of the premier senior centers in the state, and we thank you for all that.”

Dalpoas said that he wasn’t sure he deserved the accolades, but he did appreciate it and all the kind words. He quipped, “This is kind of like a rare privilege in life. That is, that you’re not necessarily dead and laid out and have people come through and say all kinds of nice things about you that you would never have heard otherwise. That is a rare privilege and I want to thank each and every one of you."

Dale Basso also came forward with a gift for Dalpoas. Basso said he had taken it upon himself to purchase a wall hanging for Dalpoas retirement. He read the inscription. “Presented to Dominic Dalpoas in appreciation of your dedication, generosity, graciousness, above all others have made the Oasis what it is today. Thank you for a job well done.”

Seeley asked that Dalpoas go ahead and open his card while she read a few comments about his history at the Oasis. She noted Dalpoas has been the director at the Oasis for the last 17 years. The senior center was located in downtown Lincoln when Dalpoas came on board, and financially the organization was struggling.

She said that since then, the Oasis has changed a lot, and Dalpoas would be the last one to say he was the reason for the change. However, she went on to say, the new leader “quickly became an expert at utilizing available resources, whether it be local volunteers, to community events such as the balloon festival where the Oasis could join in order to generate more funds for the center, to reaching out to the Logan County Board and United Way for available monies that could be used to promote services for seniors.” She also noted that he worked hard to locate available grants that could help fund the center, and as a result, the Oasis has grown and thrived under his leadership.

Seeley went on to talk about the leader's hands-on-approach at the Oasis, noting that at local fundraisers he was “not just there to meet and greet, he was in the trenches.

“Need a dishwasher, he’s there. Need a server on the serving line, he’s there. Need someone to move tables or have trash taken out at the end, he’s there.

“Does he want accolades for all that he does? Never. Does he want compensation or extra time off? Never. When he came to the Oasis, he made it his goal to provide an environment where seniors can receive free or reduced fee services. (To provide a place) where seniors can gather to participate in programs designed for their abilities and age group. The sheer number of volunteers and the amount of participation by constituents of Logan County in Oasis activities has increased over the years as a result of his leadership capabilities.”

Seeley went on to talk about the hard work that came after the fire of the downtown building. She noted that Dalpoas spent countless hours with volunteers as they worked to recover all they could from the old building. She said that at that time the board decided to award Dalpoas with a bonus check to reflect their appreciation for all that he did after the fire. However, Dom promptly used that money to provide bonuses to support staff, keeping only a small amount for himself.

She went on to say that under Dalpoas leadership the Oasis has grown and prospered, but the increased revenue had not been reflected in Dalpoas salary. She then added, “If we compensated Dom for his time, effort and commitment to our growth, for his value to us as individuals as well as the organization, we would exceed the federal budget for 2018.”

Seeley went on to mention the sacrifice of the family. She said that when Dalpoas was not at the center, he was still always available. She said that even when he was at home spending time with family, a phone call to tell him something was wrong, and he would sacrifice that family time in order to help with whatever situation there was at the Oasis.

Referring to the check enclosed in the card she said, “This gift is for you Helen (Dom’s wife), in recognition of your efforts to maintain the family during Dom’s absences. We hope that you both can now enjoy your golden years without interruption, at least from the Oasis.”

In addition to Helen, four of Dalpoas' five sons were present for the retirement party and enjoyed visiting with friends and center members.

Dalpoas also enjoyed the memories. Asked what the plans for the future were, he said he and wife Helen didn’t really have any plans for the time being at least. They plan to enjoy their downtime together.

“I’m just going to wander in and see what life holds in this next chapter.”

Recalling the favorite story of how he became director at the Oasis, Dalpoas said he had retired from a long career and was at home, perhaps making Helen a little crazy with some of his eccentricities, such as taking inventory of how much toilet paper was being used in the household. He decided it was time to go out and find a part-time job to get him out of the house a bit. He drove to town and parked in front of the Oasis. He walked down the block to Sherwin Williams, who was looking for help, thinking he could probably be pretty good at mixing paint. Coming back to his car afterward he saw a help wanted sign in the window at the Oasis and decided he might just as well apply there as well. And as the saying goes, the rest is history.

Congratulations Dom, on your retirement. And more than that, thank you for all you have given of yourself and your talents, in order to provide local seniors with a better quality of life.

[Nila Smith]