Working family can't afford to replace tattered furniture
By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
"P.Q." ignores the pain in her back and neck when she has to carry her 4-year-old daughter. The girl has cerebral palsy and is learning to walk with braces.
Her mother was injured in an April 1999 car accident. P.Q. has exhausted her medical benefits and cannot afford treatment for her pain.
Her husband's full-time job barely pays enough to cover rent, utility and food for the family, which also includes a 6-year-old boy. The family receives no welfare assistance.
"Everything goes to paying bills and stuff our kids really need, so there's no extra money at the end of the month," P.Q. said.
She needs to replace the family's worn-out couch, the furniture most used in their two-bedroom apartment. "The stuffing is coming out," P.Q. said. "I have to put a sheet over it. It's our gathering place."
Our anonymous Santa generously has offered once again this year to match the first $25 of each donation to the Christmas Fund. Checks made payable to The Advertiser Christmas Fund should be mailed to Helping Hands Hawai'i, P.O. Box 17780, Honolulu, HI 96817.
Monetary donations may 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 Road. For details, call 440-3804.
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Recent donations to The Advertiser Christmas Fund
- From Kurt, Kevin & Kaeleen $10
- Josephine Alarcio $15
- Marilyn and Steven Brub $15
- Spencer and Satsugi Higa $15
- Kenneth and Patricia Roberts $15
- Lynn Yoshitsugu $15
- In Memory of G., T., A. and M. Seo $20
- In Memory of Grandma & Grandpa Ikenaga $20
- Robert and Virginia Tellas $20
- James and Alice Urcia $20
- Partner Akiona $25
- Lloyd Akiona Sr. $25
- Theodore Auleb Jr. $25
- Merna and Richard Chang $25
- Paul and Annemarie Gregory $25
- Shirley and Fred Iha $25
- In Memory of Haksoon and James Mercado and Rene Catalan $25
- In Loving Memory of Kay $25
- In Memory of John W. Pratt $25
- In Memory of Kam Hon Chang $25
- In Memory of Mildred Sung Yee Chang $25
- In Memory of My Sister Barbara Stanberry $25
- In Memory of Richard T. Murakami $25
- In Memory of Ruth T. Shinki $25
- In Memory of Vinne Palori $25
- Mary Kang $25
- Kiara Lileikis $25
- Kenneth and Renette Meibos $25
- Thelma Nitta and Suzanne Kaneshiro $25
- Alice Stanley and John Clark $25
- Margaret Wong $25
- From Kiana & Kristyn $30
- Madeline Walker $30
- Deron & Stephanie Akiona $50
- Albert and Beatrice Gould $50
- Alvin and Mary Oyadomari $50
- James Rosenthal $50
- Patricia Seabolt $50
- Joel Narusawa $55
- Leroy Spencer $75
- Bob & Bea $100
- Richard Fall $100
- From Doug, Rick, Greg and Mark $100
- In Sally's Memory $100
- Harvey and Mary King $100
- Phuoc & Nhien Le $100
- Ellen Mann $100
- Philip and Jeanette Sakai $100
- Max and Muriel Seeker $100
- Richard and Laura Swanson $100
- Elaine & Jamie Wong $100
- For Nancy & Nicole Ardito Ng $125
- The Staff at Aloha Laser Vision $240
- Kessner Duca Umebayashi Bain & Matsunaga $1,000
- Anonymous $25
- Anonymous $75
- Anonymous $100
- Anonymous $200
Total: $3,970
Total to date: $66,066.74
