Tynisa Braun, 32, feels like she won the war, but still carries the battle scars from her divorce and a custody struggle with her ex-husband.

But the adversity has only made Braun stronger. The mother of two works full-time on the swing shift as manager of a Pearl Harbor fast-food restaurant, a job she's held for seven years. Her children, a 12-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter, know how much their mother sacrifices for them.

"It seems the more I work, the less I have," Braun said. "I can't keep up. My children are still wearing the same clothes. My daughter is wearing her brother's clothes."

The Downtown Honolulu woman has some family support from her grandmother and mother, who both live in Hawai'i. And even though she's had to ask for help, she doesn't ask for herself, only for her children.

"I don't like to ask my grandmother for help," Braun said. "I'm not the type to ask for help. My mom gives me food from her freezer.

"I guess you can say I'm too proud to ask for any help, but times are hard and the only thing I ask is help for my babies. My kids come first."

While she's in most need of the basic necessities such as food, she said clothing for her son and daughter, household cleaning supplies and laundry soap would be a big help. Gift cards so she can purchase new clothing for her son and daughter and a Christmas dinner would make her holiday complete.

"Thank you for thinking of my family," she said. "I don't care about me, but it's about my children. Everything I do is for them. I don't want them to feel left out.