ADVERTISER CHRISTMAS FUND
Fire left family of five with little to spare
By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
In a span of 10 minutes, "D.B." and her family saw everything they owned destroyed by fire.
Ten months have passed, but the horror of that moment in her life lingers. "Seeing any type of fire or smoke brings back bad memories," she said.
D.B., her daughter and three grandchildren — ages 10, 6 and 2 — are thankful to be alive.
"The Red Cross gave us $500 for some necessities," she said. "We used it to buy clothes and underwear, toiletries, slippers and shoes. If it were not for the Red Cross, I wouldn't have been able to get back on my feet right away."
Helping Hands Hawai'i • Our anonymous Santa will match the first $25 of all contributions. • Donations to the Christmas Fund can also be dropped off at First Hawaiian Bank branches statewide. To donate canned food or household goods, call the Helping Hands Hawai'i Community Clearinghouse at 536-7234.
Replacing important documents, such as birth certificates and Social Security cards, has been difficult.
• Mail checks payable to The Advertiser Christmas Fund to:
P.O. Box 17328
Honolulu, HI 96817
"You got to pay for replacement documents and I've had to work a lot of OT to make up our losses," D.B. added. "I've read about people who have lost everything in fires, but you can't imagine what it's like until the shoe is on the other foot. It's tough to start from scratch."
The family was separated for a month after the fire, but D.B. found an affordable place to live in April. There's enough money for major necessities but nothing for extras.
She and her family are in need of four dressers. "All our clothes are in containers or folded and stored on closet floors," she said.
D.B. would also appreciate some educational toys for the children.
