Boston Gal's Open Wallet

We spent several days shooting with the Castellucci family at their home in Gloucester, Mass. But it wasn’t until we had wrapped that, in a lengthy telephone conversation, Lisa Castellucci revealed it was the first time she and her husband had really processed what they’d been through. They spent the last few months struggling just to make it day to day … and spending the time to think about their ordeal is a luxury they couldn’t afford.

Just about a year ago, the Castelluccis’ seemed to have it all. Both husband and wife were college-educated, owned their own home, and ran a successful family business. But, a tough local economy hit their family-owned auto-body business hard and the customers simply stopped coming through the door. They spiraled into debt and finally were forced to close their business. They were determined, though, to pay off their debts as they lived in a small community and knew they’d have to face the other small business-owners that they owed.

“It really would have been easier to stick everything on bankruptcy and just walk away but some of the people were our friends,” Lisa said.

The Castelluccis received their first phone call before the CBS Evening News broadcast was even finished.

“I’m pretty much overwhelmed by the response and the goodness of people – coming out to reach out to someone that they’ve never met,” Lisa Castellucci told me by telephone.

After our Evening News report and the Early Show segment, which aired the following morning, both the Castellucci family and the Open Door/Cape Ann Food Pantry, on which the family has come to depend, have heard from people across the country.

Highlighting that outpouring of support, our CBS News Boston affiliate WBZ is even working on a follow-up piece; “National Spotlight Helps Struggling Local Family.”