How did growing up in a military family shape your childhood? Moving so much as a child was difficult, but it provides two choices for you: Embrace it and put yourself out there, or retreat. Having to deal with constant change prepared me well as an adult to be comfortable in just about any situation.  

Why did you decide to leave Chicago? Chicago is such a great city, and we were set to become city parents, but the call to come back to Naples was strong and the right decision. It gave our kids the opportunity to have their grandparents in their lives which was not something I had. My father died in 2015 after dealing with Parkinson’s for many years. We buried him at Arlington, which was a very moving experience. My in-laws are wonderful and still very active. We see them almost weekly and they are involved in Olivia and Owen’s lives, which means so much. 

Tell us about a typical weeknight in your home. Like many families, there is rarely a typical night because of baseball, marching band, a work event, etc. We try to sit down for a dinner together a few nights a week, and we value that time. When we get home we all go our separate ways to enjoy whatever it is we like to do. Owen loves to fish so he might be down the street at the boat dock. Olivia might be reading or painting in her room. Emily has been going to a boxing class for the last few months, and I like to walk. We reconvene for dinner, and then it’s homework, etc. Just knowing we are all in the same house and happy and healthy is comforting.

What does your family like to do together? We like to travel, and that could be just getting out of town for day or a longer trip. We might drive to Sanibel for lunch or Arcadia to shop the antique stores on Oak Street. Our best trips have been to Europe. We spent Christmas with family in Germany a few years ago. Then we went to England for some time in London and Hereford with friends. Germany at Christmas is almost indescribably beautiful. Some of our best times have been spent in Chicago and Michigan. We have taken the kids back to Chicago so many times they have become very familiar with the city and comfortable there. We try to get to Kalamazoo once a year, if not more. Especially in the fall. Emily is from there, and it’s a great city. I was fortunate to be able to travel extensively as a child, and we are fortunate now to be able to do the same with our children. For our children, we want them to see and truly understand that the color of your skin, the language you speak, who you choose to love, or what you believe are secondary characteristics to the one singular thing we all share, which is our humanity. 

How did you become a volunteer with Collier County Public Schools? I got involved with the School Advisory Council (SAC) at Sea Gate Elementary School when our daughter was in third grade and served for five years. SAC deals with issues directly related to how the school functions. I was just elected for my second three-year term at Pine Ridge where I am SAC Chair. The upcoming school year will be my third on SAC at Barron where I am vice-chair. I get to work with involved parents and great staff and teachers whose only goal is providing the highest quality education to our kids.

Other community service? I have difficulty saying no, which has led to so many great community service opportunities. I have to say that my SAC involvement is the most rewarding.

Tell us about your role at Salvation Army. I was doing a lot of nonprofit volunteer work and started realizing I enjoyed that more than my day job. One night in June 2015, I told my wife I needed to go to the ER because I had chest pains. It turned out to be stress related, but lying in the cardiac unit at NCH at 4 a.m. thinking about my life was the last sign I needed that a change was necessary. I have a great staff, work with compassionate, dedicated people, and have yet to have a day I didn’t want to come to work. That’s not something I could say about my old career. 

What would surprise us about the Salvation Army? I would say it’s the amount of services we provide. Locally, we have a great STEAM-focused after-school program at the Fran Cohen Youth Center with about 150 elementary and middle school kids attending daily. We also have a Child Development Center that serves about 70 children. The goal is to make sure 100% of the kids who leave the program are kindergarten ready. Our social services department serves approximately 300 indi-viduals monthly with food, rental, and energy assistance. We run the Toys for Tots program for Collier, so Christmas is big for us. Last year we provided food and toys for 2,600 families. In the eight weeks after Hurricane Irma, our field kitchen prepared 77,000 meals, and through our Disaster Assistance Center we are still helping families recover and rebuild. We have a very active program for seniors. They come to our campus twice a month for lunch and either an activity or speaker. These are seniors who are very economically challenged so getting out for a meal or social event may not be possible without us. Everyone deserves compassion. Our focus in Collier County is primarily on children, but the Salvation Army also operates many adult rehabilitation centers as well as medical and mental health clinics. We also are very active in addressing human trafficking. We have great programs such as Bridges Out of Poverty and Pathway of Hope, which are case management driven and offer participants the knowledge and skills needed to break what are often generational cycles of poverty.

What do you love about your current role there? I love everything about my job – the people I work with and those we help. The impact we make can be life changing and life saving sometimes. I am proud of everything we do, but one thing in particular comes to mind. The Latchkey League, which was started by Myra Daniels, supports our youth programs. They wanted to enlarge the book nook in the new youth center. I sent out a call for book donations, and within about three weeks had collected about a thousand books. Since I started the book nook last fall we have given out about 400 books.

What is your best parenting advice? Read All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kinder-garten by Robert Fulghum. Share. Play fair. Be nice. Say you’re sorry. Live a balanced life. Look. Listen. Feel. The list goes on. Literally every sentence in this book has meaning to me.Also, knowing when, and how, to step back from your children and let them be. Our instinct is to protect them, and it can be powerful and overwhelming to them and us. We will be there for them in whatever capacity they need us, but sometimes they need to walk the path they choose on their own.

What was your favorite Father’s Day gift? The best is a small pot they made in 2006. It has their handprints on it. Olivia was 3 and Owen was not quite 1. I look at it and remember what it was like holding those little hands and being so happy and terrified at the same time. The feeling of that little hand reaching up for yours and the intensity of the love you felt for them.

What are your plans for Father’s Day? Beer and pizza would be good. That’s the last day of a four game series with the Dodgers, so a Cubs sweep would be nice, too.

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Inspired by their uncle, Dennis DiSarro, a former Collier County paramedic firefighter, brothers Bill and Brian became firefighters and brothers Adam and Anthony became deputies for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. Anthony’s wife is a deputy sheriff and Adam is engaged to Firefighter Paramedic Jodi Van Sickle. According to Adam, the brothers agree that their commitment to community service stems from the values that their mother (retired certified nursing assistant) and father (retired general contractor) ingrained in them while they were growing up.

The three younger brothers (Adam, Brian, and Anthony), were born and raised in Naples and graduated from Naples High School. Older brother Bill (fire inspector, Bonita Springs Fire Control and Rescue) was born in Staten Island, and while he does not have children, he enjoys taking all of his nephews and nieces fishing and boating.

Anthony DiSarro, age 42

Retired CCSO: Patrol, SWAT, and Investigations (22 years)

Four children ages 10, 13, 16, and 17

Current Owner of POEX Fitness Naples

What inspired you to work in law enforcement?

I was inspired to be a deputy by my high school baseball coach, Dan Rogers, who was also my Youth Relations Deputy at Naples High School. I saw the positive influence he had, not only with the guys on the team but also with the student body in general. There was an approachability that encouraged communication but also the respect as a law enforcement officer.

What is the hardest part about your job?

The odd hours and stress are the two biggest factors I faced during my career. Fortunately, my wife is also a deputy sheriff and understands the demands and the issues better than anyone.

What is the best part about your job?

Feeling like you made a difference regardless of how small is the best part. During a shift, a work week, a career – you get a lot of opportunities to feel like you made a difference, so you take each call and you aim for that result.

What does your family like to do together?

We have four children so we are always on the go. We still do family dinners at home together. No TV, no cell phones at the table, and we talk about the details of our day.

Typical weeknight for your family?

We are all typically in or around the kitchen while dinner is being made – my wife and I sharing red wine, the kids working on homework, talking about school, and all of us just sharing whatever comes to mind.

How has your profession made you a better parent and partner?

Two decades of police work will teach you patience and how to communicate through any situation no matter how bad it is. We may be strict parents but we are also very compassionate and our children know they can always talk to us about anything. As partners we both know the dangers that exist in our profession and we never miss the opportunity to say “I love you” to each other. We text through the day to check in on each other and use each other to vent the frustrations of the day.

Best parenting advice?

Lead by example and be forever young. We all watched our dad work hard, treat people fairly and honestly, and provide for us, and he was the example we followed on how to handle life. I always think: “How would Dad handle this?” My mom always loved the Rod Stewart song Forever Young and it’s now my goal: Keep that young, youthful energy in everything I do.

Brian DiSarro, age 33

CCSO Deputy/911 Dispatcher

One child, age 6

What inspired you to work in law enforcement?

My older brother Anthony first sparked my interest into law enforcement, but my real drive to follow through came from my son. He is my driving force to become something better and someone that he could look up to.

What is the hardest part about your job?

Working on a night shift makes it extremely hard to be a part of day-time or after school activities. Also working on holidays, when being around family is most important. The up and down stressors of the job can be a heavy burden. It can be difficult at times to leave work at work.

What is the best part about your job?

Every day is different. Some days it’s the same people with a different problem, the same problems but different people, or something that has never been seen before! The most gratifying part is a simple “Thank you” from someone I just helped, whether it’s finding a lost dog, or saving the life of a loved one. Each “thank you” reinforces the desire to do this job day in and day out.

What does your family like to do together in your free time?

EAT! We are Italian, so it’s just natural to gather around one of our homes and put on a spread and just enjoy being a tight-knit group

Adam DiSarro, age 38 

Captain, North Collier Fire Rescue Owner

DiSarro Building and Remodeling

Three children ages 8, 9, and 14

What inspired you to become a firefighter?

To find a career that was family oriented – something positive that could be seen as a role model for my kids.

What is the hardest part about your job?

The hardest part is the schedule. Firefighters work 24 hours on and 48 hours off so it can be challenging at times.

What is the best part about your job?

The camaraderie. The feeling you get when you know you just made a positive impact on someone’s day or even their life.

What is a typical weeknight like for your family?

Between my fiance and I, we have three kids. It’s homework, then to baseball practice or dance class or gymnastics, and then dinner. We try to squeeze a few minutes in to relax together before bedtime.

How has your profession made you a better parent and partner?

This profession has made me a better person/parent all around. Unfortunately, sometimes we get to see firsthand how so many other people live with struggles. It reminds me to stay humble and never take anything for granted.

Best parenting advice?

My father, Tony DiSarro, said, “Everything in moderation.” He taught us to always have a balance between work, friends, and family

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