B.K. gave up her yard- and home-maintenance business that she was running out of her home when she gave birth to her baby girl three months ago.

But taking care of six children on a small welfare check is taking its toll. To add to her financial worries, just last week her landlord told her that her rent would be doubling at the beginning of next year.

"I've lived on the beach before — I'll do it again. But that's my last resort," B.K. said.

B.K. is paying $800 for rent and that is hard enough. But she said it will be practically impossible to pay $1,600. She's looking for a new place to live, but everything she finds is out of her price range, she said.

"I've looked all over — it's all sky-high," she said.

B.K. recently divorced the father of five of her six children. She said his lifestyle was too chaotic and was a bad influence on her children.

"There was a lot of drugs. He wasn't going to change," she said.

And then her brother died a year ago in a motorcycle accident. It was another devastating blow to her family. "My oldest son was really close to him. That was like his father," she said.

B.K. is now exploring the possibility of restarting her maintenance business in order to pay bills. That won't happen until her 3-month-old infant gets a little older, she said. In the meantime, she is helping her two older sons with their newspaper route to make extra money.

Her boyfriend, the father of her infant girl, has offered to move into her apartment to help pay rent.

Some of B.K.'s children sleep on the floor because B.K. doesn't have enough beds. For Christmas her children are hoping for bunk beds.

B.K.'s 12-year-old son said he doesn't want to sleep on the floor anymore. One night a centipede stung him while he was sleeping, B.K. said.

This single mother said she would like her children to wake up Christmas morning to presents under the tree, but she can't afford it.

Her 12-year-old son wants a video game console, and two of his brothers, ages 9 and 6, have asked for a remote control truck. B.K.'s 3-year-old son has asked Santa for Spider-Man toys. And her 7-year-old daughter has requested art supplies. B.K.'s 3-month-old baby could use more clothes.

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

Our anonymous Santa will match 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.

For those interested in making credit card donations, please call Helen at 440-3831 with your name, address, credit card number, expiration date and amount of donation.

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.