Leilani Tiapula has been working as a temporary employee for four months in hopes of getting a permanent job with steady benefits and a decent wage.

But with the economy tanking, she's worried that she will be the first to go if cutbacks start at the company. Now that she's a full-time employee, the state cut her off the welfare rolls. While that's a good thing because she's earning her own way, it's a struggle because she doesn't earn enough to make ends meet.

It's a lot to deal with when you're a single mom with three children, ages 9, 5 and 2. It's a lot without a family support network and little money. She moved back to Hawai'i last December from San Diego after separating from her husband.

After paying for daycare, rent and utilities, there's nothing left for new clothes for her children, who haven't had anything new in two years, said the 28-year-old Tiapula.

"I'm able to make it with a lot of focus," Tiapula said. "It's hard. I am only doing what I have to do. There's no one else who will do it."

On Thanksgiving she and her kids didn't have a turkey dinner with the trimmings. No money to buy the feast and her oven is too tiny to fit a turkey, anyway.

She hopes that if someone "adopts" her family they might be able to help her find a reasonable clothes dryer. She has a washer, but has to hang the clothes on a line. Since she lives in Makiki, it's often rainy.

Gift cards for new clothes for her kids would go a long way to helping make her holidays better. She doesn't have a Christmas tree or decorations, but those are just symbols of the holidays. The spirit of Christmas is the hope and fellowship from mankind, she said.

"I just want to see my children happy and smiling on the holiday season," Tiapula said. "I would really like them to have new clothes."

ADVERTISER CHRISTMAS FUND DONATIONS

Ronald & Sachie Shirai — $500

Nelson Nekomoto — $300

John Clyde Millen & Prescilla Millen — $250

Leah Elaine Golo — $100

Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society — $100

Marjorie Kashiwada — $100

Audrey Pool Kelly — $100

Valentine & Oleta Mersberg — $100

Harold & Sophie Nakamura — $100

Scott Nashiwa — $100

Gregg Oishi — $100

Mika Ono — $100

Mona G. Parker — $100

Phil Robertson — $100

Mary Lou Swope — $100

Marna Rae Wickham — $100

Raymond Greiner — $51

Brandon Austin — $50

Charles & Mei Tsu Birkeland — $50

Nicole Gima — $50

Leslie I. Goss-Smith — $50

Marilyn Hamano — $50

In Loving Memory of Roland Kenichi Harada — $50

In Memory of Tosh Ige — $50

Laurie Jorgensen — $50

Daniel & Doreen Kelii — $50

Kurt & Irene Nakamura — $50

Milton & Maddie Oshiro — $50

Sylvia C. Wilmeth — $50

Charlotte Blubaugh — $40

Nancy Pearl & Cristina G. Imana — $30

Chad Taniguchi — $27.11

Stella Bernardo — $25

Julie E. Elliott — $25

Frank & Priscilla Gaison — $25

J.H. — $25

Jennifer Huppert — $25

Nancy Kim — $25

Rosamond Sullivan — $25

Sharon L. Toda — $25

Francis & Elaine Ching — $20

Total: 3,318.11

Previous total: 5,650

Grand total: $8,968.11