VIDEO: Sports Authority donates $500 to kick off Christmas Fund

Buoyed by love and an uncommon commitment to family, the Hawaiian couple and their now eight children (ages 5 months to 14 years), have managed to stay afloat by doing without, shopping at flea markets and thrift stores, and repairing discarded items found by the wayside.

"Both my husband and I come from very simple backgrounds," said Elea Kahokuloa, 35. "I grew up on Moloka'i and my husband is from Ni'ihau. So we learned how to get by all our lives with barely anything."

She said the family survives on food stamps and the limited financial assistance for their foster children. Rent for the family's Waipahu residence is covered by federal Housing and Urban Development assistance.

"All of those resources are great blessings," she said. "We just kind of make it stretch. Other than that, we just keep it simple."

The family's fortunes suffered a setback when Pulani Kahokuloa, 35, lost his job as an airline ramp agent in September. Since then, the family has struggled more than ever as Pulani tries to find employment in a tough job market.

On this Thanksgiving Day, the Kahokuloas say they are most grateful just to all be together.

But this year, the couple would like to be able to place a few modest gifts for their children under a real Christmas tree — something they've never been able to do before.

CHRISTMAS FUND

Families such as the Kahokuloas will be assisted this year through donations to The Advertiser's Christmas Fund. The drive is a partnership of The Advertiser, Helping Hands Hawai'i and KGMB9 to raise money for thousands of households that have fallen on hard times during the Islands' worst economic crisis in decades.

Starting today and continuing each day through Christmas, The Advertiser will run stories highlighting people in need. Advertiser news partner KGMB9 will broadcast additional stories weekly.

Christmas Fund contributions are used year-round to assist people facing hardships. Helping Hands Hawai'i assisted 2,653 households last year on $203,710 raised by the Christmas Fund. So far this year, the fund has assisted 2,069 households.

Through its Adopt-A-Family Christmas program, Helping Hands Hawai'i matches up needy people such as the Kahokuloas with individual donors who adopt a family and assist them with a wish list of gifts so children and parents have a brighter Christmas.

Scott Morishige, program director for Helping Hands Hawai'i, said the Kahokuloa family's hardship is reflective of a growing number of folks. His nonprofit agency serves as a clearinghouse for service organizations through-out the state, providing food, clothing, shelter and financial assistance to those who are homeless or in need. Helping Hands relies on donations from individuals and businesses within the community to operate.

In the midst of the economic downturn, the agency faces an uphill battle this holiday season.

"A lot of people think things are going to get better pretty soon," Morishige said. "But I honestly think this is just the beginning. We've had the furloughs, and now the first layoffs by the state."

Morishige knows that in June Hawai'i's unemployment rate was double what it was in June 2008. He has seen the ways in which a downward spiraling economy can ravage human lives.

Increasingly, he hears from folks in debt and out of work who are facing the end of their unemployment compensation and who don't know where to turn. He talks to those who have seen their disability checks cut to $300 a month and who fret about being evicted because their $400-a-month room rent in a private home or halfway house has been raised by landlords caught in their own financial bind.

"Every day we are getting calls from these people asking for help," Morishige said. "Things are very difficult."

Still, he hopes the legendary generosity of Hawai'i's people and businesses, opening their hearts and wallets to the less fortunate during the toughest times, will prevail this year. Earlier this month, he used a surprise contribution of $500 from the Sports Authority on Ward Avenue to fill several oversized shopping bags with sweatshirts, shoes, sandals, socks, duffel bags and even a few footballs and basketballs for less fortunate households on Christmas.

A DECORATED TREE

As for Elea and Pulani Kahokuloa, the couple's Christmas wish is to have a traditional holiday, which their children have never experienced.

"We've never had a real traditional Christmas," said Elea Kahokuloa. "What I taught my kids every year was that Christmas was about being with family, and that was all that was important. If we had anything to give, that was more important than getting. I said, 'Whatever you get is because Jesus wants to share his birthday with you.'

"I wasn't ever able to buy them gifts, so we just left it at that and they never complained."

The four foster siblings, whom the Kahokuloas took in once before for several months when the couple lived on Moloka'i, have become such an integral part of the family that the Kahokuloas hope to adopt them.

This year, the couple would like their new extended family to be able to experience the joy of a decorated tree and even a few presents.

"To put some smiles on their faces," Elea said. "It will be a real blessing if we were able to get some help to have a nice, traditional Christmas."