Losing Grasp On The American Dream

The Other America: How One Family Went From Middle Class To Collecting Tin Cans

(CBS)  This is the first part in a Hitting Home series called "The Other America."

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That anyone would be struggling in picture-perfect Gloucester, Mass., seems difficult to imagine. But, looks can be deceiving.

"Well, what I've learned is that not everyone 'looks' needy," said Lisa Castellucci. "You never know."

And she should know. Castellucci might not look needy, but she is.

She's allowed to come every 14 days to the Cape Ann Food Pantry, where she gets donated food - a far cry from the days when she used to give.

"When you donated before, did you ever really have an appreciation for what it was like to receive?" CBS News correspondent Seth Doane asked her.

"No, to be honest, I think I gave my leftovers, pretty much," she said.

Not so long ago, Lisa and her husband, David, were living the American Dream - their own home, their own business, three kids and another on the way.

"Our fourth child we named Hope, because our only hope that we have left is from God - and if we lose that, we're done … because that's all we have, for real," Lisa said.

Poverty was not part of their plan.

Doane visited the family's former business with David, who had inherited a successful auto-body shop. But as the local economy suffered, his costs went up, and business dropped.

"It wasn't real; it wasn't real that I was losing everything I had invested," he said.

He fell tens of thousands of dollars into debt - and was forced to shut down. With no money coming in, the Castelluccis drained their own IRAs and all of the money they'd saved up for their kids, and went looking for help.

"I mean, it was humbling for me to get food stamps … humbling," David said. "I thought only really poor people needed food stamps, and then I started realizing, well, I'm a really poor person."

He also went looking for a job, but it took five months to get one.

As a father, as a provider, David said he felt, "Inadequate. Absolutely inadequate."

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Learn more about this series - and the Castelluccis' situation - at Couric & Co.

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Also, if you'd like to learn how to help this family or others, send us and e-mail and we'll tell you how.

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Sometimes embarrassed, certainly humbled, Lisa started keeping a journal.

"Not only did I sell every piece of clothing of my own - but every piece of clothing that I could sell of my children's' clothes," Lisa had written in her journal.

It happened so fast that home improvements were halted right in the middle of the job - a blanket hanging on the stairwell is their attempt to keep in the heat.

And when she's out on the street, Lisa will even pick up cans off the street for the deposit money.

"It's not like they're dirty - the cans are right there. So I just throw them in my bag and that was another $3. But, it's really tough. When I make our deposits, I just gather up whatever pennies and everything else I can find and I deposit it and I pay the bills little by little. And it's tough and it's humbling."

David got a new job as a service technician for a copier company. He makes $40,000 a year. That might sound like a lot - but with a family of six and plenty of leftover debt, they're nowhere near out of the woods.

"In a lot of ways, I think that we've grown closer as a family because of this situation. Not that I've enjoyed it," he said. "I wouldn't recommend it for anybody."

Wouldn't recommend it - and prays for a future when poverty is just part of his past.

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Since this piece aired, CBS News, the Castellucci family and their local food pantry have all gotten a tremendous outpouring of support. Check back right here for some of the reaction. In the meantime, you can leave a comment or send an e-mail with your thoughts. Also, check out CBS News affiliate WBZ's report about the affect of this piece.

[mace19662000]

I sincerely feel for the family you focused on in the broadcast; but, the reality is that not every family makes the income they are making right now.
My wife and I have a family of 5 kids (3 mine and 2 hers) ages 4, 8, 9, 14, and 19. All 5 are here at home. My annual income has been about $30,000 until just 2 weeks ago. As of then, I am now unemployed.
Unless the condition of this countries economy turns around soon, everyone will be in even worse financial position then they have every thought of before. Instead of focusing on some well-to-do family who have found themselves in hard times, maybe you should focus on those of us who have struggled for years.

[mace19662000]

I sincerely feel for the family you focused on in the broadcast; but, the reality is that not every family makes the income they are making right now.
My wife and I have a family of 5 kids (3 mine and 2 hers) ages 4, 8, 9, 14, and 19. All 5 are here at home. My annual income has been about $30,000 until just 2 weeks ago. As of then, I am now unemployed.
Unless the condition of this countries economy turns around soon, everyone will be in even worse financial position then they have every thought of before. Instead of focusing on some well-to-do family who have found themselves in hard times, maybe you should focus on those of us who have struggled for years.

[mace19662000]

I sincerely feel for the family you focused on in the broadcast; but, the reality is that not every family makes the income they are making right now.
My wife and I have a family of 5 kids (3 mine and 2 hers) ages 4, 8, 9, 14, and 19. All 5 are here at home. My annual income has been about $30,000 until just 2 weeks ago. As of then, I am now unemployed.
Unless the condition of this countries economy turns around soon, everyone will be in even worse financial position then they have ever thought of before. Instead of focusing on some well-to-do family who have found themselves in hard times, maybe you should focus on those of us who have struggled for years.

[tomgle103]

What incredibly poor journalism. I suppose you''ll now find somebody who owns a Hummer and can''t afford to put gas in the tank so we can feel sorry for them too.

This family has no education and seems to have no marketable skills. They mismanaged an inheritance because of the lack of education and lack of management skills but they do know how to make babies - lots of them. Come on CBS!!!!

Our country is not falling apart!!! Opportunities exist for those wishing to work to make things happen. Being handed a business on a silver platter and then losing it is an inevitably for someone like this. Now they want someone to hand them a job even though they don''t seem to have a skill in th world. Making babies is not a skill, it''s irresponsible.

[dowjones20k]

Seth Doane the reporter on this story should be FIRED.

What a pitiful piece.

I cant help but wonder if this guy inherited a successful auto body repair business .. what the heck kind of body/business man was he? Why didnt he go to work for someone else? A good body man can make more than $40,000 a year.

I live in Ma and can tell you that there are tens of thousands drivers here who need repair work because the folks here are crazy drivers ... but I digress ...

Glouster is NOT some cheap little town, it is expensive .. heck everywhere in MA is expensive ...

SO not sure where these two went off the road .. but it sounds like this reporter and this couple need some education ... and some common sense ..

I feel for anyone who is struggling life is tough right now .. but with a little help, perseverance and thought, it can be overcome .

[idnnsg]

To the people who like to blame the victims: Just wait ''til it happens to you!

"Outsourcing jobs overseas is good", said Bush.

"Getting cheap junk from China is good", said Bush.

"This war will be a piece of cake and it will pay for itself with the oil we steal from the Iraqis", said Bush.

"I''ve got a job, what''s a matter wit'' you?" says the uncompassionate fools who keep voting for the repugs who are doing everything they can to destroy the middle class.

[cattlekate]

Posted by mace19662000 at 08:13 PM : Apr 28, 2008

Curious....who are you supporting to take over the Bush Administration?

[tomgle103]

I''m not a Bush fan, however it was Bill Clinton who signed NAFTA and sent those jobs to China. If you remember, Ross Perot said we will hear the whooshing sound of jobs leaving the country if NAFTA is signed.

The point here is not to blame Bush or Clinton or this fmaily but instead to blame CBS for shoddy reporting. The American Dream is alive and well but effort and education is required. Quit showing these welfare cases. Yes, you have to have pity for this family but for CBS to declare the American Dream dead is slipshod journalism. I agree with a previous post, fire this reporter.

[godzilla-boy]

Geez, how heartless can you people be? Give this family a break! You don''t know their circumstances. Yes, they have a few kids and yes, the husband lost his business. But some people somehow know that they don''t have any education or didn''t put in the required effort. But you''ve got yours so anyone who doesn''t is either stupid or lazy, right?

I hope that if any of you ever fall on hard times, you get as much sympathy as you''re giving this family.

[sjc_1]

We have been losing good paying jobs for more than 30 years and then this so called administration wants to crow about home ownership percentages by rigging up an unregulated mortgage industry that make sub prime home loans to those that can not really afford them...some dream, more like a nightmare. The Real Estate people need first time buyers at the bottom so people can sell their homes and the agents and brokers can take their commissions and load officers can take their points.

The Republicans brought you the Savings and Loan collapse in the late 80s through deregulation and now they have brought you the mortgage mess through no regulation at all.

Remember the Saving and Loans were chartered to make home loans. Then the Republicans changed all that to allow them to make risky loans, which led to the failure of the whole industry.

There must be profits in this destruction for all of them and their friends, because they will keep on doing it if you let them.

[kansas1946]

We are losing the American middle class, and that is, and always has been, the strength of America. When decent paying manufacturing jobs started going over-seas, then you took away the ability of hard working people to make a living. Those millions of people spending that money is what fueled our huge economy and made living in American one of the best deals in the world. We are seeing more very rich people, and more very poor people here, and that is an ugly thing to contemplate. Most third world countries have exactly that kind of economic picture. It is greed that caused it in those countries, and it is greed that is causing it here. I am glad that I am old enough to have lived through one of the most prosperous periods for average people in the history of the world. I think it is coming to an end though, that that is sad for future Americans.

[kansas1946]

The Republicans brought you the Savings and Loan collapse in the late 80s through deregulation and now they have brought you the mortgage mess through no regulation at all. Posted by sjc_1 at 11:49 PM :

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You hit the proverbial nail on the head, sjc. Those sub-prime loans should have been illegal. Anyone with half a brain could see that mess coming. Of course, as long as the big boys were getting rich, the politicians just looked away. I thought there were pretty tight controls on banking, but I guess not. Now, since they have gotten themselves backed into a corner, we are supposed to bail out these banks to protect the economy. You know, I think this last eight years has been worse for America than anything in history. The damage done by this administration''s actions and lack of actions is beyond comprehension.

[brianbwb-2009]

What incredibly poor journalism. I suppose you''''ll now find somebody who owns a Hummer and can''''t afford to put gas in the tank so we can feel sorry for them too." Posted by monet103

Such a story would belong in the humor section. I, for one would read that while ROFLMAO.

It does my heart good for those who have the "let them eat cake" attitude, who think the economy is ok only because their own position is ok, get a taste of the "cake" they tell others to eat.

Would only that most of the "let them eat cake" crowd experience the same, and be forced to find a new job where none exist, or compete with slave labor from Mexico, sweatshop labor from India, and the like.

This would be an effective attitude adjuster.

[brianbwb-2009]

"I''''m not a Bush fan, however it was Bill Clinton who signed NAFTA and sent those jobs to China." Posted by monet103

Correction, the job drain started before NAFTA. When the "Big 4" automakers in Detroit relocated their factories to then slave labor Asian states, way back in the mid 70s and early 80s, the ripple effect killed the steel, coal, rubber, and glass industries, which killed ancillary services, and even bars, pubs, and nightclubs closed, killing the grassroots entertainment industry.

NAFTA was just icing on an already ruined cake.

[hg2008-2009]

If you had followed the link in the middle of the story, you would know this couple are college educated.

[slim1h2o]

Posted by monet103 at 10:50 PM : Apr

Man!!,,,You really have no clue do you. Apparently you have not yet been affected by the poor economy, or by our poorly ran country.

You will be in time, and that''s when your tears will flow like a river.

Don''t come to me looking for sympathy, with that attitude!

[katlyn70]

People in the US don''t understand that we are a supply and demand country and when the demand goes down people end up losing their jobs. Yes things are hard right now but if you look around the world we still have it better them anywhere else in the world. Just because the price of things go up does not mean that we stop living and that is what people seem to be doing. Learn to rebugdet your family and keep on going.
My heart goes out to that family and I hope they end up on the better side of things soon.
People need to start living again and spending before we end up worse then we are already.

[hwy71so]

Funny how all these financial problems started showing up AFTER the dems got control of congress.

Yeah, its the republicans'' fault!

Whatever.

[krenz4]

Well, well, I hope that they make it. But i also hope that the next time she turns her nose up at someone going through the garbage, her stomach wont be so full that she will forget how it is. I hope the next time she sees some "bum'' walking down the street with her new baby, she wont think to herself how the ''poor'' should stop having babies they cant support. And finally i hope that she will think twice before she donates her ''leftovers'' to the needy and share something of real substance.

[mace19662000]

I am sorry to her about this family. But, ... Instead of reporting about some well-to-do family who have run into hard-times, try reporting about the majority of the country who are living payday to payday, and earning $30,000 or less.
My wife and I have a family of 5 (3 mine and 2 hers), and where I worked just shut down. I know of lots of others who have gone thru the same situation. When is the media going to report of the true problem, cause of the problem, and with the right people?

[gwizzy2]

The American dream is all but lost!! If you are not struggling than someone in your circle of family of friends are! housing,gas,food prices,employment,
healthcare and the rise of crime in America are ALL major issues that are touching all of our lives in one way of another and I really don''t care who you want to place the blame on, I just want to see some of this SH-T resolved!!! Shut down the boarders and STOP sending money to foreign nations until the crisis in OUR COUNTRY is under control. WE don''t have enough jobs for our own citizens let alone all of the *** foreigners that we are letting into OUR COUNTRY to take our jobs,increase crime and send money home to their families! WE need to take care of our OWN!!!

[munsell10yr]

About a quote in the above article:
"Not so long ago, Lisa and her husband, David, were living the American Dream - their own home, their own business, three kids and another on the way. ''Our fourth child we named Hope, because our only hope that we have left is from God - and if we lose that, we''re done %u2026 because that''s all we have, for real,'' Lisa said."

Didn''t Barack Obama get roasted a while ago for pointing out that people are feeling like this?

[killtheliars]

wangbang747,

As American''s we don''t need to compete. We have enough disposable income and resources here that we could pretty much be self sufficient.
The problem is businesses that have gone global. They need to make regions of the world that were dirt poor business friendly, they do this with american tax payer money in alot of cases but we don''t get anything in return.
The other problem are the do-gooders and environmentalists. The do-gooders fell like because i have two nice cars and nice house and 3 or 4 tvs, i have some obligation to feed the rest of the world. The enviornmentalists won''t let us drill for oil and build more refineries therefore making it necessary for us to purchase oil from other countries.
Imagine if the entire U.S. no longer purchased one drop of oil from the rest of the world? Imagine if the U.S. closed the market to China. We might take a short term hit but would bounce back stronger, the rest of the world would loose out.
American''s have no obligation to anyone but ourselves. We need to get back that attitude and teach our children that they don''t owe anyone anything. This constant giult trip that was placed on us because we live well and others don''t has helped ruin the country, the masses believed it and look what happened. I sat with the exception of the U.S., F.T.W.

College educated and white and "clinging" to God because "that''s all we have, for real." Obama is beginning to impress me more and more. Where did this man acquire his insights into the American psyche? He knows us better than our homies. Maybe that''s what bothers a lot of people?

[enriquecaliente]

"Funny how all these financial problems started showing up AFTER the dems got control of congress.

Yeah, its the republicans'''' fault!

Whatever."

Yea right, and you can also say that it was the 8yrs of the Gipper + 4 of Bush I and trickle down economics that gave the country 8 years of success and eliminated the nation debit. Too bad Clinton was in the White House at the time. Idiot.

[pentangyl]

If we had a people''s Congress, there would be stability. The greatest crime of Congress is its currency system. The worst legislative crime of the ages is perpetrated by this banking bill. Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act on December 23, 1913. History proved that on that day, the Constitution ceased to be the governing covenant of the American people, and our liberties were handed over to a small group of international bankers. The caucus and the party bosses have again operated and prevented the people from getting the benefit of their own government."

[mexinvasion]

Well what were they doing with 4 kids in the first place?? I don''t see how regular middle class people can even afford to raise just one kid nowadays. And what kind of world are we bringing kids into anyway?? If the American Dream is sinking with America, don''t bring anymore kids into the mess. Countries have cycles. We reached our peak in the 1980''s, and now we are on our way down. It happens. Fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride down. Mexico and China may get into a war over who conquers us, unless both decide a giant ghetto isn''t worth owning.

[WildDogStoll]

I would feel bad for the Castelluccis but I just don''t have time. See both my wife and I are out of work and although we are looking for work it is tough because we both have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. My wife also suffers from scoliosis and I have heart valve problems. I have been "classified" 100% disabled. 4 years ago I lost the job I had, after 9 years and 7 months, due to corporate merger/take over, shortly after that I had to have my bilateral hip replacements replaced again, (to the sum of over $150,000), the right hip had to be done twice because the hip bone, weakened from the JRA had to be reinforced with a steel ring so it would hold the prosthesis. During all this we have consumed our savings and maxed out our credit cards, sold off every thing worth money, we even have had our property up for sale but thanks to the way our government has trashed our economy, even with an excellent broker, finding a buyer has been unsuccessful. So before you shed a tear for people who had a successful business handed to them, (I would love that opportunity), and couldn%u2019t make it work%u2026 think about those that really have up hill battles through no fault of their own.

[WildDogStoll]

I would feel bad for the Castelluccis but I just don''t have time. See both my wife and I are out of work and although we are looking for work it is tough because we both have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. My wife also suffers from scoliosis and I have heart valve problems. I have been "classified" 100% disabled. 4 years ago I lost the job I had, after 9 years and 7 months, due to corporate merger/take over, shortly after that I had to have my bilateral hip replacements replaced again, (to the sum of over $150,000), the right hip had to be done twice because the hip bone, weakened from the JRA had to be reinforced with a steel ring so it would hold the prosthesis. During all this we have consumed our savings and maxed out our credit cards, sold off every thing worth money, we even have had our property up for sale but thanks to the way our government has trashed our economy, even with an excellent broker, finding a buyer has been unsuccessful. So before you shed a tear for people who had a successful business handed to them, (I would love that opportunity), and couldn%u2019t make it work%u2026 think about those that really have up hill battles through no fault of their own.

[foranc]

FOUR children? That is the height of irresponsible! What do they think the world is going to be like for those four and their children, grandchildren, etc.? An over-populated planet unable to feed itself.

[eggy1620]

To all of you who are complaining about your current situations, how much scratch would you save by getting rid of you computer and internet connection? How about your cable? Cell phone(s)? Everyone could immediately realize an instant $150 to $200 monthly gain by eliminating luxuries we did not have nor need 15 years ago!

[maximous2]

Yeah- I''m sure she''s sending all of those donations to the food pantry. These people are crying poor so that people will send them checks. Looking at their house, they don''t know what poor is- We''ve got people here living on the streets who are so poor they can''t even eat. I know a guy who lives under the Wells Ave Bridge. Hopefully this woman got all of the checks she was looking for from this broadcast. She doesn''t look like she''s missed too many meals. Real righteous.

[jack773]

Since CBS News breaks out everything else racially (election results, educational problems, etc.) lets see a racial breakdown of who the governmet is proposing to "help" with their unwise mortgage debt.
Or is the truth politically incorrect?

[stri0407]

I know these people. They used to be missionaries before they had kids and my Church supported them. They are wonderful, hard working, caring people. Their family didn''t even know how badly they were struggling. They didn''t make poor choices. Dave''s business stopped making enough money and they already had 4 kids by the time it happened. Having a solid income and having four kids is not irresponisble. Plus, if your not going to even watch the whole video...don''t comment things about them that aren''t true. They both went to college to better themselves and contribute to the economy! Some of you people make me really angry. If you don''t care about their situation, fine, I mean, its not like you know them, and I am sure you never have experienced what they have. But do not insult them.