Merita Alfanso arrived in Honolulu two years ago from Micronesia with limited resources and little command of the English language.

Still, she hoped to provide a better life for her five children, ages 2 through 12.

Alfanso, 31, landed a job as a security guard, and found living quarters at the Kuhio Park Terrace low-income housing project. But economic hard times have left her and the family struggling to survive.

"I feel bad for her," said Kookie Faitele, housing specialist for The Institute for Human Services Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Faitele said Alfanso is overworked, underpaid and barely able to make ends meet. Alfanso has no way of earning enough to send for her husband in Chuuk to come help care for the children, she said.

Instead, Alfanso arranges to have an auntie watch the children while she is on the job.

Faitele said because Alfanso is not a U.S. citizen, her program is unable to help directly — although Faitele has kept Alfanso as a client to connect her to whatever social services assistance is available.

"She doesn't qualify for food stamps because she's not a citizen," Faitele said. "So I let her know the location of our food drops so she can pick up food any time she runs out.

"And, we refer her to Helping Hands Hawai'i for diapers and things for the kids, and for household items.

"Those are the limited resources that we can help her with."

This Christmas, Alfanso, who has no money for presents, is hoping for anything that will put smiles on her children's faces.

"Any gift would surely be appreciated," Faitele said.