May 29, 2008 5:56 pm US/Eastern
50 Years, 50 Families: Kellie Winkowski
(KDKA)
The next recipient of the Roomful Express 50 Years, 50 Families contest is a woman who took in her cousins when they had no where else to turn and gave them a home when they didn't have one anymore.
Pam Turzak and her sister Shannon Anderson know what a hard life is all about.
At early ages, they lost both of their parents and were left in the care of their cousin, Kellie Winkowski, who was 21-years-old at the time.
"We didn't have a lot of money, but we still all the things everyone else did," said Turzak. "She would work double the amount of time to take us out and do all kinds of stuff."
"She was a mother and father. Then, I had children at 20. I have three kids," said Anderson. "She taught me to be a great mother."
Winkowski's family says she has been an incredible role model because she teaches to put others first. Even these days, Winkowski still puts in tremendous hours as a cook, usually because it's helping someone else.
Anderson and Turzak say they think that it is time their cousin gets something in return for a lifetime of selfless.
So they nominated her to receive $3,000 worth of furniture from Roomful Express. They say they want to replace frayed chairs, broken coffee tables and sheet covered couches.
"All my furniture is just stuff that's been given to us," said Winkowski.
Her house has three bedrooms, one for her son, another for her daughter as well as a guest room.
"This is always the guest," said Winkowski, of the extra room. "If someone needs some help or a place to stay, they usually stay in this room."
When she recently found out that she is the latest recipient of the contest she had tears in her eyes.
Winkowski maintains that family is more important than material things, but now her family is trying to take care of her.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
