Couple's plight a parable of the poor economy

Castellucci Car and Truck Repair on Grove Street had weathered recessions, high gas prices and tough times in the local economy before, but nothing prepared its owners, Lisa and David Castellucci of Leighton Court, for the summer of 2007.

"We had been doing all right for months. Then all of a sudden, no one was coming though the door," Lisa Castellucci said. "I think it must have had to do with the price of gas, but we didn't have any business. The debt kept piling up, and by August we decided to close."

A year and a half after the family took over the business from David's parents, who ran it as M&J Truck repair on Gloucester Avenue for 25 years, the Castelluccis liquidated the body shop to pay off their debts, but still found themselves around $30,000 in the red.

Struggling to make mortgage payments on their two-story house near Addison Street, the Castelluccis took desperate measures to keep their heads above water and provide for their four children.

"We emptied our IRAs and savings, walked to errands, consigned our clothes, took books to the used book store and never left town," Lisa Castellucci said. "It took a big dose of humility."

Trapped by a bad year of business during tough economic times, the Castelluccis' struggles mirror the stories of many families across the region and country: college-educated and hard-working, but unable to keep up with the rising cost of living.

By the time winter rolled around, the family was using candles for light, collecting change and taking a year off from buying Christmas presents.

With the repair shop's failure draining their income, the Castelluccis' circumstances were further complicated by the slumping housing market. The value of their two-family home, purchased in 2004 for $317,000, dropped to $290,000 this year, hampering the possibility of refinancing their mortgage or selling.

During the fall and winter of last year, the Castelluccis, who had done charity and missionary work in Mexico after graduating from Philadelphia Biblical University, became one of a growing number of Gloucester families relying on programs such as home heating assistance, food stamps and the Open Door/Cape Ann Food Pantry to get by.

"We were in survival mode," Lisa Castellucci said. "When you are just trying to survive it is hard to think about the future and dream."

The Castelluccis met in Gloucester when both were in high school. Lisa, 31, grew up on Essex Avenue, while David, 32, grew up in Beverly.

After closing the repair shop, David Castellucci initially found work as a mechanic at a garage in Beverly, but within seven weeks last fall, that shop saw a drop in business and started laying people off. Lisa Castellucci said she considered trying to get a job herself, but didn't think she could make enough with a degree in social work to pay for the cost of day care for her kids.

Deeply religious, Lisa Castelluci credits the family's Christian faith with keeping them together during the months when David was unemployed.

In March, David Castellucci found a job fixing high-end business copiers for Konica Minolta in Newton, a job closer to the career he had wanted that has allowed him to use his computer skills.

The couple is still struggling to pay off its debts, but Lisa Castellucci said the family's financial situation appears to be looking up.

Since a "CBS Evening News" report told the Castelluccis' story, the family has received letters of support from all over the country. Next Tuesday, Lisa Castellucci is scheduled to speak at a rally at the Statehouse in Boston called Hunger on the Hill, an event put together by the Greater Boston Food Bank to lobby the state Legislature to fund anti-hunger programs.

Castellucci said she hoped telling her story would give hope to people in similar circumstances and convince them that it is OK to seek help when facing financial trouble.

"I think people are struggling," Castellucci said. "They are so busy and wrapped up in trying to provide and get the next thing, that they forget about the basics. But this has taught me never to judge someone until you have walked in their shoes."

Photos

Dave and Lisa Castellucci, with their four children, from left, Isaiah, 7, Faith, 2, Josiah, 5, and Hope, 7 months, struggle to make ends meet in this economy. Staff photo