Sarah-Anne Quiacusan was always the achiever in the family.

She was the one her parents never worried about, the one her four younger siblings looked up to. But three years ago, the 32-year-old ran into difficulties she's still trying to recover from. First, her rent was raised and she was forced into homelessness. Then, she got involved in an abusive relationship.

"I ended up pregnant at Nanakuli Beach Park," Quiacusan said.

She had her baby just a few months before ending her relationship with her boyfriend and moving into the Onemalu transitional shelter in Kalaeloa.

There, she was able to re-think her choices and change the direction of her life. She vowed to work hard to give her three children a real home.

Two of the kids had been living with her mother while Quiacusan had no place to live. The third spent her first months in this world on the streets.

The family now lives at a public housing complex in Wai'anae.

They love their new home, though they don't have much furniture.

To help pay the bills, Quiacusan is working at a private security company — the same job she quit when she slipped into homelessness.

She said her biggest goal is to join the Local 3 Operators Union, where she would go through an apprenticeship program to work in construction.

"I pray I'll get it," she said. "I do."

The family would appreciate any donations of school supplies and clothes. Quiacusan also asked for diapers and other baby essentials.

Her oldest, 13-year-old Nohea, wears a size 18 and extra-large shirts or dresses. Her younger brother, 2-year-old Justin, wears a 3T.

And the baby of the family, who is 1, wears size 18-24 months.

RECENT DONATIONS TO THE ADVERTISER CHRISTMAS FUND

Brianna and Christopher Platte — $50
Construction Associates Inc. — $50
Louise Matsushige — $400
Margaret and Herbert Lee — $300
Brian Hughes — $25
Kathleen and Jeffrey Choi — $200
Hattie and Bob — $200
Lyman Ohana, in memory of Ginette K. Lyman — $200
Cheryl Yoshida — $200
In memory of BHK, Victoria and Daniel — $150
Francine and Michael Crail — $120
Rosa and Audito Ibon — $120
K. and A. Aihara — $100
P. Pasha Baker — $100
Gayle Harimoto — $100
Paula Harris, in memory of Alyce and Paul Mills — $100
Paula Harris, in celebration of Malia Withrow’s first Christmas — $100
Phyllis Hee, in memory of Misano Imanaka — $100
C.F. and S.K. Kaopua — $100
Pamela Kaopua — $100
Benjamin and Florence Kodama — $100
Ellen and Ed Kohara — $100
Debra Lau — $100
Edwin and Helen Noh Lee — $100
Kurt and Jeanne Lemon — $100
Stanley and Lorriane Lunow Luke — $100
Fumio, James H., Laurulie S.M., Jamiee L., James Y.L.M. Maeda, in memory of Yoriko Maeda — $100
Sharon Muraoka, in memory of Florence Monasterolo — $100
Sharon Muraoka, in memory of Roy S. Muraoka — $100
John Nagle — $100
Raymond and Judith Oda — $100
Alma and Donald O’Day — $100
Ronald Ohori — $100
Cody and Luke Pacarro — $100
Paul and Earl — $100
Retired Educators of 'Aikahi Elementary School — $100
Jerry and Alicia Rubin — $100
Susan Sakai — $100
John Bradley and Marilyn Ruth Seely — $100
K.Y. Shigetani — $100
David O. Shin and Family — $100
Richard and Laura Swanson — $100
Craig and Megumi Uyeno — $100
Judith Wagner — $100
R. and D. Williams — $100
Tanner, Eryn, Taylor Peyton and Eli — $75
James and Patricia Abts — $50
Alan and Andrew Akiyama, in memory of Estelle Akiyama — $50
Alfred and Dorothy Nell Bloom — $50
Dana Lyn and John Brahms, in memory of Auntie Alice Hiraki — $50
Stanley Ching and Jocelyn Nakashima — $50
Laurene and Rupert Chun — $50
George and Veronica Esias — $50
Martin and Ethel Gustafson — $50
Glenn and Karen Hamada — $50
Ho Family — $50
Sandra and Roy Ichinose — $50
Helen K. Liu, in memory of Eugene Liu — $50
Donna McAfee, in memory of Richard Grosso — $50
Eugene and Lori Rambaud — $50
Vicky and Jonah Tanigawa — $50
Ivy and Orren Torres — $50
K. Uilani and Alfred Rule — $40
Ellen Kashigi and Kenneth Kawamura — $35
Janet Thebaud Gillmar — $30
Willa and Gary Goo — $30
Patricia and Michael Isobe — $30
David and Debra Laeha — $30
Mary Bertolini — $25
Cathy Chun — $25
Vickie Gleed — $25
Rae Ann Hedani — $25
Pamela and Charles Hinsdale — $25
Mari-io and Wendell Hokama — $25
Chester and Geraldine Imes — $25
Barbara Lansman — $25
Hilda Lee, in memory of Susan Lee Lukacovic — $25
Dane Lospoc — $25
Nancy and Robert Matsuda, Holly Fujishige — $25
Faye Mercer — $25
Danilo Perlas — $25
Tamara Solem — $25
Helen Tanaka and Kathleen Shigenaga — $25
Erwin Yanuaria — $25
Richard and Rose Yoshimura — $25
Jade and Jackson Delahunty — $20
Vohn Hewlen — $20
Vohn Hewlen, for Steve Favela — $20
Lori Protzman — $20
Jack Vega — $20
Brocky Boy — $15
Ann Lecompte — $15
Susan Hamada-Yee — $10
Lori Lehouiller — $10
Vicky and Jonah Tanigawa — $10
Anonymous, in memory of Wing Yee Wee and Sam Moi Wee — $20
Anonymous — $20
Anonymous — $20
Anonymous — $100
Anonymous — $100
Anonymous — $100
Anonymous — $100
Anonymous — $100
Anonymous — $100
Anonymous, in memory of Lance T. Oda — $100
Anonymous — $50
Anonymous — $50
Anonymous — $50
Anonymous — $40
Anonymous — $40
Anonymous — $37.50
Anonymous — $25
Anonymous — $25
Anonymous — $25


Total — $ 9,737.50
Previous total: — $ 79,278.34
Total to date: — $ 89,015.84