Martiea "Teea" Evans has high expectations for her 4-year-old son and his four lanky and pigtailed older sisters.

Nyree, 9, Lashon, 7, Ashanti, 7, Cheyanne, 5, and Rashawn Jr. all attend Dilworth Traditional Academy in Highland Park. In the evenings, they go to an after school program at the Hamilton Larimer public housing complex where they live. And every summer, they continue their studies at Lincoln Elementary in East Liberty.

"As long as I have a breath in my body, they will all make it to college," Ms. Evans, 28, said last week.

In the meantime, she is struggling to provide a festive holiday season for her children. Their father, Ms. Evans' former boyfriend, lost his job as a cook at the University of Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center in August, and he hasn't been able to keep up with child support payments.

Pittsburgh Housing Authority officials recently told Ms. Evans that they planned to convert her Larimer townhouse into a home for handicapped tenants. She has to move by Jan. 4.

Ms. Evans first came to Auburn Street in Larimer about four years ago, hoping to escape the street violence of Homewood. But drug dealing and shootings are still a regular part of life in her current neighborhood, and Ms. Evans tries to shield her children as best as she can. When they hear gunfire, she tells them: "Oh, it's fireworks."

"I probably shouldn't lie, but kids shouldn't be exposed to that," she said.

She also makes sure they're busy with school or other activities. The children are regular attendees at the Kinglsey Community Center's family fun nights, and she insists that they continue with their after school and summer school programs, even though they all get good grades.

"Everyone laughs at me and says I'm a strict mother," Ms. Evans said. "Kids need guidance. They shouldn't be allowed to roam and do anything they want."

Her current home is walking distance from Dilworth, a magnet school on Stanton Avenue. The kids love going there.

In October, Lashon, a second-grader, was chosen as student of the month for her adherence to the "star rules," which include showing respect for teachers and other students. Last year, she won second place in the energy poster contest for her portrayal of "Mr. Water and Mr. Electricity."

"She's intelligent," Ms. Evans said. "She needs to know everything."

Both Lashon and Nyree are members of the school's "Green Team," which focuses on recycling and learning how to conserve energy. They both play musical instruments -- Nyree, the flute, and Lashon, the violin.

Nyree hopes to be a lawyer some day. Lashon has dreams of being a singer, an actress and a doctor.

Cheyanne wants to be a "mail lady" because she only sees men delivering the mail. Her mother has told her that "girls can do anything boys can do."

After they vacate their home, the family will temporarily live in another part of the Larimer complex, giving Ms. Evans time to locate a new house using a Section 8 voucher. She hopes to stay near Highland Park so her children can keep going to Dilworth.

Last year, Debra Ashby, a member of Nabhi Christian Ministries, showed up at Ms. Evans' door with donated toys from the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, which is supported by the Post-Gazette's Goodfellows Fund.

At first, Ms. Evans was reluctant to accept the donations.

"No, you're going to take this," Ms. Ashby told her. "It's for the kids."

Last year, Nabhi, based in East Liberty, provided toys to 4,000 children, according to the organization's founder, Jacque Fielder.

Ms. Evans is again looking to Nabhi to help bring some Christmas cheer to her children.

"If there are only a couple of gifts under the tree, they'll be happy," she said. "As long as we're all living, we're happy. People are less fortunate than us."

Toys for Tots and the Goodfellows Fund work every year to make sure no children wake up on Christmas morning without a gift.

We hope you will join this effort by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Goodfellows Fund by using the coupon on this page or online at www.post-gazette.com/goodfellows.

Every donation is acknowledged in the newspaper.

The Toys for Tots program will hold open houses this week to distribute toys to parents and guardians of needy children.

Toys will be given out at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh building at 420 Boulevard of the Allies, Downtown, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday.

Those wishing to obtain toys should have photo ID and be accompanied by their children or bring documentation of the children's ages (for example, birth certificates or insurance cards) and proof of government assistance.

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