MARYSVILLE – Two mothers will probably remember this year’s Mother’s Day for good.
Serena O’Dwyer learned a week ago that Turning Point Church in Marysville would hold its fourth annual Inspired Spaces drawing on Sunday. To honor mothers, the church would choose two women to receive a $1,000 room makeover for free.
That would be a good gift for Kathryn Cantwell, and she deserves it, O’Dwyer thought.
In January, O’Dwyer, 24, and her two children became homeless. She turned to Cantwell, a friend whom she met through a Bible study group a few years ago. Cantwell took them in to her Marysville home.
“I’m just thankful for what Kathryn and her family have done for me,” O’Dwyer said.
So, O’Dwyer prayed, prayed and prayed that Cantwell, 47, would win the free room makeover.
That was exactly what happened on Sunday. Cantwell, a mother of three sons, won the gift. O’Dwyer herself got a $100 gift certificate for an interior design shop.
“Because of her heart to give back, God blessed her heart,” Cantwell said of O’Dwyer.
Marlene Bosler of Arlington was also chosen Sunday to receive the room makeover.
“I just don’t win things usually,” the mother of three said. “That was quite a surprise for me.”
Professional interior decorators plan to redesign and remodel Cantwell and Bosler’s rooms on Thursday and Friday, said Cyndi Villamor, an associate pastor at the church with about 900 members. Cantwell and Bosler will participate in the redesign of one another’s rooms.
The idea is to recognize and appreciate mothers’ contributions to society, Villamor said.
“They work hard, and they contribute a lot to raising children,” Villamor said.
Yet, unlike other jobs, mothers don’t receive an annual performance review or a bonus, Villamor said.
“This is our way to say we value what you do as a mother,” she said.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
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