Rather than seeing retirement as a final chapter, Daniel A. Sergi saw the end of his 45-year insurance career as the start of new ways to make a difference. After decades of building a successful business, he discovered that retirement offered unprecedented freedom to pursue long-standing passions for philanthropy and community service.
“I didn’t like retirement,” he candidly admits. “I was always very busy working, but, you know, I realized it was time to change my direction and retire. Don’t misunderstand, while I needed to break away from the pace of being productive all the time, you still need to also stay productive and fill your time in retirement as well. It will just look a little different”.
His experience can serve as a guide for professionals considering life after their careers, particularly those who want to use their success for a greater purpose.
Beds for Kids, Hope for Families
Daniel A. Sergi’s commitment to community impact wasn’t something that emerged in retirement — it was a value woven throughout his professional life that found fuller expression once career demands subsided.
While building his insurance business, he launched what would become a three-decade philanthropic initiative addressing a critical but overlooked need: providing beds for children who would otherwise sleep on floors.
“It all started with a conversation over 30 years ago I overheard at the office,” he recalls. A colleague who served on a Board of a non-for-profit was discussing a request to fund beds for needy children — not typically the kind of support the NFP provided. When Sergi inquired further, he “discovered that there were three children sleeping on the floor in the family apartment as their family couldn’t afford beds.”
The revelation left a lasting impression on him. “That made my heart ache. I have children of my own, and the thought of any child without a proper place to sleep to get the needed peaceful rest they require was simply unacceptable.” Daniel A. Sergi immediately purchased the beds for these kids.
What began as a one-time gesture evolved into a formal program through the Community Foundation of Fox River Valley. Daniel A. Sergi established relationships with nonprofits that identified families in need and handled logistics while he provided funding for complete bed packages — “a twin bed, frame, box spring, mattress, sheets, pillow, and blankets.”
He structured the program to maintain recipients’ dignity, never wanting to know their names. “That was confidential, and this wasn’t about recognition for me”, he explains. However, the program incorporated an “Impact Form” that invited feedback, and the responses were powerful.
“Those images and the notes from grateful parents, mostly single mothers, were profoundly moving,” he shares. “Many children received their very first bed ever through this program. It served newborns through 18-year-olds, providing beds and cribs as needed.”
The initiative, which began modestly, soon expanded to Wisconsin and Florida. “Each month, we averaged about 10 beds, consistently meeting needs as they arose,” Sergi notes. Over the years, Beds for Kids provided over 3,600 beds and cribs — a remarkable impact from what began as an overheard conversation.
The need was great. Word spread quickly, and eventually, Beds for Kids served approximately 50 organizations and 10 Fox Valley nonprofits regularly. Through the Corbella Clinic alone, Daniel and Barbara Sergi and Beds for Kids helped around 200 babies to have sweet dreams in new cribs. Now retired and living on their farm in Wisconsin, the Sergis made the tough choice to close Beds for Kids. But the legacy will live on.
“It wasn’t an easy choice,” Daniel A. Sergi admitted. “But it feels like the right moment. It would be wonderful if someone could continue the work we started, but each person must find their own passion. I do not believe I found this cause by chance, not at all, but rather, God interceded and placed me in the right place at the right time.” “His magical mission for me was to form Beds For Kids”
Raising Cattle, Raising Community
When Daniel A. Sergi and his wife Barb neared retirement, they pursued a path few might expect: transforming undeveloped land into an organic cattle farm. While this decision connected to family heritage (his ancestors from Italy were farmers, as are many of his Australian cousins). His wife Barb comes from farming roots as five generations were cattle farmers in Illinois. It also showcased his unwavering dedication to stewardship and serving the community.
“We turned our farm into organic ground, both pastures and tillable acres,” Sergi explains. This Organic certification process required “three years of diligent effort” to eliminate fertilizers, sprays, and other nonorganic interventions. They chose to raise their cattle on natural grass and alfalfa rather than grain — an approach that “takes twice as long to raise an animal but produces beef of exceptional quality.”
Their commitment to sustainable practices reflected a holistic view of community responsibility that encompassed the soil, animals, and future generations. But, just as they were beginning to establish relationships with restaurants in Chicago and Madison, Wisconsin, COVID-19 interrupted their plans.
“With 6,000 pounds of beef in storage and no way to sell it, we made the decision to donate it all to local food pantries,” he recalls. “It disappeared within days — a stark reminder of the need in our rural communities, where hard work comes naturally and many work multiple jobs to make ends meet.”
This impromptu act of generosity exemplifies Sergi’s way of giving back — seeing a need and responding directly, without hesitation. The experience deepened his appreciation for the quiet, persistent food insecurity facing rural communities, where poverty often remains less visible than in urban settings.
Sergi explains, “When you live in a rural community, people here help each other out. Even the grocery stores have baskets for receiving donations to the food pantries.”
He continues, “I witnessed a friend of mine buying a bag of potatoes for a woman who didn’t have enough money to pay for it, as the potatoes were no longer on sale. Imagine that! You see it all the time, and the kind gestures by most folks toward each other is what matters.”
He also recalls a time when a farmer friend became ill: “Another neighbor and I took over feeding, watering, and moving over 100 cattle each day for six weeks. It wasn’t a chore — it’s just what neighbors do.”
This lifestyle of mutual support is woven into daily life in Sergi’s rural community — where sharing resources isn’t just common, it’s expected. He describes how his family lives largely off the land and leans on close-knit local networks for their needs.
“We get much of our food locally,” Sergi says. “We grow our own vegetables, and our beef, pork, lamb, and chicken come from nearby ranchers. Each week, a local farmer delivers fresh eggs to our door. Our honey and maple syrup — which I help make every year — as well as homemade jams and jellies, all come from neighbors. And our freezer is always stocked with venison, prepared in a variety of ways.”
He adds, “In return, our neighbors are welcome to take all the firewood they need to heat their homes in the winter, and as much fish as they’d like straight from our pond. It’s a wonderful life.”
After seven years of hands-on farming, when “the physical demands of daily farm work were becoming challenging” in their late 60s, they adapted their approach without abandoning their commitment to conservation. They turned operations over to a younger couple while maintaining their own involvement with the land through different channels.
Land, Legacy, and a Love for Conservation
At their property, named “Villaggio di Isabella” after both their grandmothers, Daniel A. Sergi has shifted his focus to environmental conservation and habitat creation. This large property includes woodlands, fields, a pond, and even a cabin built during our country’s Civil War — all managed with an eye toward sustainability and biodiversity, with hiking trails throughout the entire property.
A centerpiece of these efforts is the 15 acres of wildflowers planted specifically to support pollinators. “It draws in the monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, multiple varieties of birds, bees, grasshoppers … all kinds of wildlife,” he explains. “I have bluebird houses out there — 14 of them. And sure enough, those little guys come back to visit every spring through fall to create a new family, once again.”
These conservation initiatives represent a different expression of giving back — creating natural resources that benefit wildlife, ecosystem health, and community members who enjoy the beauty of these spaces. The work connects to larger environmental concerns while providing a tangible, local impact. “The government and agricultural agencies strongly promote and support conservation, providing valuable guidance for it, which is wonderful,” Sergi points out, highlighting how individual efforts connect to broader sustainability goals.
“We even host an annual fish fry as part of our efforts to manage fish populations,” Sergi said. “Family and friends come together for the day, each with a role to play—whether it’s catching the 150–200 fish we need, cleaning them, or preparing the sides like potatoes and coleslaw for over 50 guests. It’s always a great time, and everyone leaves with a full belly, a big smile, and excitement for next year’s gathering.”
Giving Back, Moving Forward
In addition to formal philanthropy, Daniel A. Sergi finds fulfillment in mentoring younger professionals — a way of giving that turns his experience into guidance for others.
“Some folks … they’re younger folks, they’re in their 30s … they will reach out and contact me and just say ‘Hey, what’s going on?'” he explains. The conversations often touch on business challenges: “‘I got this issue with my employees’ or ‘I have this HR issue I need to talk with you about, I want to expand the business’ or ‘I’m looking to get out and do my own thing. What do you think? I’d like your advice”.
Mentoring relationships help tackle a core hurdle many retirees face — the feeling that their experience is no longer valued. “The biggest thing I used to say to myself after I retired was, ‘Nobody needs me anymore,'” he admits.
Through mentorship, he’s found that professional wisdom remains valuable even outside formal roles. This engagement also keeps him connected to changing industry trends and perspectives, creating a mutually beneficial exchange across generations.
His faith communities provide another avenue for meaningful connection. Daniel A. Sergi participates in two Bible study groups — “One with young professionals in their 30s, a couple of guys in their 50s, and then me — the older guy,” he says with a smile. “It’s just folks who seek each other’s mentorship.”
He’s also part of another group made up of contemporaries who, as he puts it, “have walked life’s path alongside Jesus for years.”
The gatherings provide a space for both spiritual growth and practical support. “We meet weekly for scripture study and maintain a group text where we share insights, deep investigative scripture meaning and self-reflections,” he explains. The intergenerational aspect enriches everyone’s experience, allowing wisdom to flow in multiple directions.
“These connections — with young business professionals seeking advice, friends sharing their journeys, and a community that values your own presence over wealth — have shown me how much we all need each other, no matter our stage in life,” he reflects. “No matter how old we are, we never stop learning and growing in the short time we have here on earth. What we do with this time is what matters, but know anything we do needs to be centered in LOVE.