Posted on: Saturday, December 15, 2001
Advertiser Christmas Fund
Crowded studio houses teen mom, relatives
| • | Recent donations |
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By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Louise Funai, center, president of Helping Hands Hawaii , accepts a check for $1,000 to the Advertiser Christmas Fund from Capt. John Edwards, commanding officer of Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, and Eric Kimura, president of the Shipyard Chapter of the Federal Managers Association. The association raised donations through annual sales of Portugese sausage and has donated nearly $30,000 to holiday charities over the past 10 years.
Courtesy U.S. Navy |
| How to make a donation • Checks made payable to The Advertiser Christmas Fund should be mailed to Helping Hands Hawai'i P.O. Box 19155 Honolulu, HI 96817 • Donations may also be dropped off at any First Hawaiian Bank branch. • Anyone wishing to donate goods instead of money can do so at the Community Clearinghouse at 2100 N. Nimitz Highway near Pu'uhale Street. For details, call 536-7234. |
Seventeen-year-old D.P. is a high school senior with a 1-year-old daughter. Outside of school, her life revolves around a room smaller than her classrooms.
She, her child, three adults and one other young child share a studio attachment to a house. Beyond a small kitchen and bathroom, there is precious little space for anything else but a pullout sofa bed and television.
Her 23-year-old sister and boyfriend sleep together on the bed with their 2-year-old son. The resting place for D.P. and her daughter is a fold-up cushioned mat that does not extend the full length of her body.
Her 45-year-old father, meanwhile, also sleeps on the floor. He has a sleeping bag and pillow. "It doesn't look very comfortable," D.P. said.
A futon or thick sleeping mattress for cold nights is what D.P. wants for her father.
"He's got to worry about work and paying the bills," she said. "He really doesn't get much rest. I know he's not feeling good but I can't get him to go to the doctor."
D.P. considers herself lucky to have K.P. as a father. "He has been both mom and dad to me," she said. "When I gave birth, I was so afraid he would kick me out of the house. But I was wrong about that."
D.P., who is planning to attend community college, helps out with household expenses by selling crafts in her spare time.
Her father could also use new pants (42 waist, 32 length) and shirts (XXL), she said. For her daughter, she'd like a baby stroller and, perhaps, a doll. Although she didn't ask, D.P. could use a sleeping mattress, too.
In loving memory of Yoshiyuki Takahashi $25
Total $6,510
Total to date: $50,986.3 • Friday, Dec. 14: New bed is priority for family of four
In memory of Miyono Amemiya 25
In memory of Masa 25
In memory of David Garliepp and Billy Gibson Garliepp 25
In memory of Dorothy & Masato Endo 50
In memory of Marian Chun Tom & Rosalind S. Chun 50
In memory of Sunny & Jeffrey Goo 100
In loving memory of Doris J. Nourse 100
In loving memory of Nick Ma'afala, Kekoa Nakagawa & Thorn Sandry 100
In memory of Clifford M.S. Chee 100
In memory of Roby Chillingworth 100
Norman C. Freitas 20
Evelyn K.T. Rodrigues 20
Yoshiko Chu 20
Nancy E. Pearl 20
Sadie Y. Gouveia 25
Eunice A. Kimura 25
Sharon F. Fujioka 25
Pets Are Inn dba Fuzzie World 25
Dennis J. Kawahara 25
Tiana, Chasity & Preston 25
George K. Iwanaga 25
James H. West 25
Ralph S. Matsuda 25
Charles N. Pinson 25
Collin Y. Tsutsui 25
Magdalena J. Cambia 25
Glenn Sato 29
Gordon J. Liu 30
Michelle L. Sanchez 30
Alan H.W. Leung 50
Calvin I. Kuniyuki 50
Gloria Castro 50
Shari Endo 50
Barbara K. Wilmore 50
Sally D. Duffield 50
Alan T. Okamoto 50
Alan K.T. Lau 50
Margaret W. Wilson 50
Warfield E. Munce, Jr. 50
The Choy Family 50
Ken S. Marume 50
Earl Jun Maeda 50
Tricia A. Kamikawa 100
Larry B. Nakamoto 100
Elaine Coel 100
George S. Takakawa 100
Elaine N. 100
Reber Enterprises 100
Reginald D. Jones 100
Neal S. Nakayama 100
Darren M. Yamabe 100
Betty J. Bazell 100
Wonda S. Holt 100
Karla Kam Tennant 100
Boy Scouts Troop 113 Kaneohe 110
Malia, Daniel & Michael 150
The Ladies of Kailua Drove No. 171, Benevolent Patriotic Order of Does 171
Arianne Wolf 200
Patrick F. Cadigan 200
Charles A. Crabb 250
Honolulu Zoo, Mammal Section 250
Sharon K. Ehrhorn 500
Haas Insulation Inc. 600
Anonymous 10
Anonymous 25
Anonymous 25
Anonymous 50
Anonymous 50
Anonymous 50
Anonymous 50
Anonymous 100
Anonymous 100
Anonymous 200
Anonymous 400
• Thursday, Dec. 13: Mother of three wants job to keep family from being homeless again
• Wednesday, Dec. 12: Electric fan, microwave will help
• Tuesday, Dec. 11: Vacuum sought for home of ailing child
• Monday, Dec. 10: Household with seven children needs new refrigerator
• Sunday, Dec. 9: Family lives in shed, seeks clothing
• Saturday, Dec. 8: Children need bedroom furniture
• Friday, Dec. 7: Stroke patient needs friend to get to therapy
• Thursday, Dec. 6: Shriners patient needs shoes, transportation to appointments
• Wednesday, Dec. 5: Clothing for sons welcome
• Tuesday, Dec. 4: Ex-addict, abused wife reclaims life
• Monday, Dec. 3: Disabled man seeks toy for grandson
• Sunday, Dec. 2: Ailing son left family buried in bills
• Saturday, Dec. 1: Woman says seventh child is chance to be good parent
• Friday, Nov. 30: With its breadwinner laid off, family requests help for first time
• Thursday, Nov. 29: Pacific immigrants struggle to stay here
• Wednesday, Nov. 28: Couple forgo gifts, except for two keiki's
• Tuesday, Nov. 27: Child's grave needs headstone
• Monday, Nov. 26: Security officer, six children have to eat on floor
• Sunday, Nov. $25: Holiday assistance badly needed this year
