A Wai'anae family of four had their world unexpectedly turned upside down this year.

Now, Isaac and Desiree Ganigan and their two children, Kekai, 9, and Zydon, 6, face hardship and an uncertain future as they head into Christmas.

Last year, both parents were employed. This year, both lost their jobs for reasons beyond their control — one to the worsening local economy, and the other to illness.

For Isaac Ganigan, 26, a carpenter who builds home trusses, the year has been an on-again, off-again frustration. So far the company he works for has twice laid him off because home construction jobs have bottomed out.

Even though he's working right now, he understands he could be laid off again at any moment.

"Oh yeah, I could lose my job again," he said. "Because right now things are slow — very slow."

Meanwhile, Desiree Ganigan, 25, lost her job at a bank because of medical problems.

The missing income from both paychecks has been a devastating financial blow for the family, said Keali'iokekai Liana, the Catholic Charities Hawaii case worker for the Ganigan family.

"I have watched Isaac and Desiree struggle over the year due to their financial situation," Liana said. "They have eliminated all wants and focused only on their needs so they could get by."

What money comes in barely meets the family's monthly bills, Liana said.

There will be nothing left over for the couple to buy Christmas gifts for their children.

"This has been a very difficult year," said Isaac Ganigan. "We would be grateful for any help anyone would be able to offer my family."