L.M. is raising three daughters by herself with a limited income.

Her husband is in prison on the Mainland and she works full time to help support her daughters, ages 5 and 3 years old and 9 months old. They share a bedroom in a family member's home.

The children have sporadic contact with their father, who will be incarcerated another three years, through a webcast at their church in Salt Lake.

To keep the family together, L.M. has been trying to instill family values in her children by eating daily meals together and going out on the weekends to the beach.

Her 5-year-old daughter is hoping Santa will bring her new clothes since she always gets hand-me-downs from her cousins. The 3-year-old is hoping for a baby doll of her own because now she can play with her sister's doll only when her sister is in school. And the 9-month-old needs new clothes.

A new dresser would give the family a place to store their clothes.

Christmas Fund donations will be used for families who need help making it through the holidays. Any money remaining after the holidays will be used to help those in need throughout the year.

Our anonymous Santa is matching the first $25 of each donation to the Christmas Fund.

HOW TO DONATE

Send checks payable to "The Advertiser Christmas Fund" to Helping Hands Hawai'i, P.O. Box 17780, Honolulu, HI 96817.

Checks also may be dropped off at any First Hawaiian Bank branch.

Material goods may be taken to the Community Clearinghouse at 2100 N. Nimitz Highway, near Pu'uhale Road. For details, call 440-3804.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.