Tina Castelluzzo

This fundraiser is for a very special friend and family. Anyone who has been fortunate to know Tina  knows  Tina’s big heart, endless selfless acts of kindness and compassion and wonderful and much needed  work for the community of Malverne and Valley Stream schools, PTA and SEPTA to name a few.  I am saddened to hear this dear friend of mine is in a terrible bind.
Tina has been suffering silently and under much duress trying to keep her home but unfortunately this is n longer an option for her. I am hoping and wish for people to  please help Tina and her children, Alina and Shane. They are in need a fresh start and I am asking to please help them financially, emotionally or in any way possible for them to be able to help them succeed. 
The family is in need of money for  fundamental needs and Tina will have two children in college in the fall.   Alina is entering her final year in college and needs to have access to her vehicle to complete her courses. She needs to be able to pay for her car insurance to be able to finish her internships. Her vehicle  is needed for traveling back and forth from college in Syracuse for these off campus internships.  It is vital for her to have her vehicle up there at school. 
Shane will be graduating from Valley Stream Central and has been accepted to a culinary school and he will need money to go forward with this. He will need money for books and expenses for traveling to school.
Tina is a single mom and has always put her family and others first before her self. She worries she that she won’t be able to keep up with her vehicle as it up there in mileage and costly repairs. She worries about paying for her health insurance and other basic needs. Tina has always payed if forward forever and it’s her turn now to receive a gift from all of you. Please,  please help support her anyway way you can. Below is the email I received from Tina recently and is very heartbreaking. 
Please give what you can. Thank you  

Hi Caroline,

Thank you so much for reaching out to me the other day.  The more I look at my situation, the more I realize that I should take you up on your offer to try to get help.  As much as I  hate the idea, I have to suck it up because it's not just helping me but it will also help my kids, and you know I'll do anything to help my kids.  So, I figured you should know the whole story. 


I haven't been able to afford my mortgage payments ($3,000 per month) since the divorce.  I've just been doing everything I could to stay in the house until Shane graduates.  He just changed schools in 10th grade and I didn't want him to have to change school again.  Transition is hard for him, plus he loves the Culinary program at Central.  But now he's graduating in June and I have sell the house.  The bank said they wouldn't move forward with the foreclosure, as long as I'm selling it. 


So now I have to:


Clean/Empty house.  I'll be moving from a big house to a 2 bedroom apartment so I have to get rid of, basically, everything I've accumulated over the past 17 years.  That's what I've been doing this week.  This vacation came just in time.


Fix the house up, make repairs, paint etc..  The house is in disrepair, because I haven't had any money to keep it up, but I can't sell it in this condition.


Sell the house.  Right off the top, I have to pay-off the mortgage, pay the Real Estate Agent & Lawyer and pay the people fixing the house.  Then I have to split any profit with my ex-husband, and then pay my divorce lawyer from my half.  I don't know if I'll walk away with anything.


Find an affordable 2-3 bedroom apartment.  Keep in mind that I have no money for security deposit, first month's rent and last month's rent, and I have 4 cats which will make it more difficult to find something.


Transition my special needs son from High School to college.  So, next year I'll have 2 kids in college.  Only you would understand that with even with everything else going on, this is my biggest worry.  I never stop worrying about him (If we're on the right path, if he'll be ok, second guessing every decision I make for him, etc...)


Find a new job.  My current salary is below poverty level.  I only survive because I still get Alimony & Child Support, but both will end soon.


Get Shane a car because he has to commute to/from college.  He finished drivers ed but isn't ready to take his road test.  He still needs more practice.


Get both kids car insurance because Alina's father won't let her stay on his insurance if she takes her car up to college.  She needs to take her car next year because she has to do an internship to graduate.


Plus, not a financial burden, but adding to my stress level:


My brother is in Hospice care. I just met with him, my sister-in-law and their lawyer today, because they needed a witness to get his Will in order.


My sister-in-law just had surgery and radiation for Breast Cancer, is having hernia surgery on 5/7, and has Hepatitis & Cirrhosis of the Liver


My mother-in-law fell and broke her hip, was in rehab but is back in the hospital now.  When she was in rehab, they didn't give her, her night time dosage of insulin and her blood sugar went up to 1,000.  They had to bring her to the emergency room.  She was in ICU but has a regular room now.



With all of that being said, I can't bring myself to post anything to initiate this whole thing, because frankly, I'm still  horrified with the idea of other people knowing my situation.  I truly appreciate your offer to help but I honestly don't know how to proceed with this.  


Thank you again for being such a good friend.  A few of my other friends know that I've been going through tough times but you are the only one that offered to do something to help and that means so much to me.


Ok, I have to go now because I'm blubbering like a baby and have to pull myself together before the boys call me for a ride home.  I dropped them off in Rockville Centre to see the new Avengers movie.


Thank you again.


Love you,
Tina