Posted on: Saturday, December 11, 2004
Parents struggle to raise teens
By Karen Blakeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
M.S. and his wife, D.S., have two teenagers, a girl and a boy.
M.S. works as a groundskeeper and D.S. cleans classrooms. They don't have a lot of money, so when the children need or want something, they try to find it at the swap meet, or they put it on layaway at a discount department store.
"I tell them to wait for the right time and I'll pick it up for you if I can," M.S. said. "I tell them sometimes you can't get it, but sometimes you can."
The kids recently took part in Special Olympics.
"We came home with two bronze medals and one gold medal!" M.S. said.
His daughter, 18, was disappointed when she didn't get a medal in one of the events.
To donate, send checks payable to "The Advertiser Christmas Fund" to Helping Hands Hawai'i, P.O. Box 17780, Honolulu, HI 96817. Monetary donations also may be dropped off at any First Hawaiian Bank branch. Goods can be donated at the Community Clearinghouse at 2100 N. Nimitz Highway, near Pu'uhale Road. For details, call 440-3804. She felt better when she won a medal in a later event.
The family refrigerator has cracks in the freezer compartment, and won't last much longer. The family needs a new refrigerator, but can't afford one.
M.S.'s 16-year-old son, who can't speak, likes to listen to Hawaiian music on a portable CD player, and enjoys working puzzles. His daughter, who is learning how to use a computer at school, needs new glasses. She would like to have a Nintendo and games.
Gift certificates to grocery stores would help the children learn to shop for groceries, their case worker said.
Christmas Fund donations will be used for families who need help making it through the holidays. Any money remaining after the holidays will be used to help those in need throughout the year. Our anonymous Santa is matching the first $25 of each donation to the Christmas Fund.
• • •
Recent donations to The Advertiser Christmas Fund
Total $1,920
Previous total $18,336
Total to date $20,256
Both children are developmentally disabled. Both are enrolled in special education occupational-skills classes.
"I said: What did I tell you?' " M.S. said. "I said you go there to have fun and be with your friends and enjoy."
HOW TO HELP
