As Harmonie Aloiau-Ah-Wah crawled around the floor of a one-room studio in Waimanalo, Britney Tacub smiled with the pride of a new mom.

Tacub, 18, hopes that she can provide for Harmonie the things she remembers from her own childhood. A home. Food. Clothing.

Life, however, can be a bit daunting when you consider less than a year ago, Tacub was homeless and living on a mattress at Kailua District Park. The last time she attended school regularly was in ninth grade. Her mother abused her and she was in foster care until she became a runaway. She and her boyfriend, the father of her daughter, Justin Aloiau-Ah-Wah, were homeless together for two years, even after she found out she was pregnant.

"After Harmonie was born, I was calling everywhere to find a place to live, but everything is so expensive," Tacub said. "Justin's parents helped us get a place here."

Tacub is among those who will be helped this year through donations to The Advertiser's Christmas Fund. The fund drive is a partnership between The Advertiser, Helping Hands Hawai'i and KGMB9 to raise money to assist thousands of families who have fallen on tough times.

Beginning today and every day through Christmas, The Advertiser will profile families in need. News partner KGMB9 will broadcast weekly stories on additional families that will benefit from the fund.

The families whose stories are featured will represent only a fraction of those who will be helped by the fund.

HARD TIMES

With headlines heralding stock market plunges and a looming global recession, getting donations becomes harder as the need for help grows across the country. In Hawai'i, the tourism industry, the state's chief economic engine, has been struggling, and more than 5,000 workers have been laid off in the past year.

Over the summer donors contributed more than $172,000 to the Neighbors in Need Fund dedicated to helping laid-off workers of Aloha Airlines, Molokai Ranch, ATA Airlines and Weyerhaeuser Co. Neighbors in Need was also sponsored by The Advertiser, Helping Hands and KGMB9.

Last year Helping Hands assisted 1,998 households through the Christmas Fund and so far this year it has helped 2,141 households, a 31 percent increase.

"There are more families seeking assistance this year than last," said Scott Morishige, Helping Hands Hawai'i program manager. "Every year for the past three years the number of families seeking assistance has increased slightly.

"I think the numbers are going to continue to grow in 2009 as the economy tightens," Morishige said. "The economy has been so tight that more working families are feeling the pinch. We've seen a change in the type of clients seeking help, from individuals who are homeless with no money at all, to more working families who are unable to make ends meet."

Money raised by the Christmas Fund is used all year long, Morishige said.

Last year's Christmas Fund raised more than $254,057 for the needy.

Through its Adopt-A-Family program, Helping Hands is able to assist with the expenses of moving homeless families into homes.

As part of the program, Tacub is hoping someone will donate a small, tabletop Christmas tree, diapers, and laundry soap — things so that Christmas won't be like any other day.

Tacub, Aloiau-Ah-Wah and 9-month-old baby Harmonie moved into their first home in March, a two-year transitional studio at the Weinberg Village in Waimanalo. As long as they pay the nominal rent, they can stay.

The room — with baby gear, some toys and a bed — is tiny, but neat.

They're glad for the roof over their heads, especially since Aloiau-Ah-Wah, 19, is undergoing radiation treatment. A year ago while they were homeless, he had surgery for a cancer growth in his groin.

The cancer was first discovered when Aloiau-Ah-Wah was doing some digging as a day laborer in Kahalu'u and developed groin pain that sent him to the emergency room, where a tumor was discovered. Doctors removed the tumor and he was discharged — back to the streets.

"We was on the streets doing all this," Tacub said. "We're still struggling. There's no money and we are dependent on welfare."

Following surgery, Aloiau-Ah-Wah didn't seek follow-up treatment until about a month ago when he discovered a peanut-sized tumor in his lymph nodes near his belly button. Now he goes for radiation.

"Most likely they said everything would be OK," Aloiau-Ah-Wah said. "They said it was unusual for someone so young to get cancer like this. But this kind of cancer, they said, responds well to radiation."

Crawling and reaching for her mom, Harmonie babbled as only babies can. She's happy, Tacub said. That's what is important.

With not much money left over from welfare after paying rent, Tacub is hoping to have a Christmas that they can always remember. Their first Christmas in a home, even if it's temporary.

"There are so many things I want to accomplish," Tacub said. "I want to work. Our plan is to get a job and save money and get Justin healthy."