Knowing the Homeless: Sherry's Story
Sherry is a single woman with no children. We got a tip from a friend that she was potentially suicidal after being abandoned out of town from an ex-boyfriend. We drove 6 hours there to pick her up from a motel room. Here is her story submitted by her unedited and raw.
My name is Sherry I have been homeless in Ukiah for almost a total of 4 years. This town used to be very friendly to homeless people ... I've come to find it's very hard to be alone by myself on the streets. My mind tends to run away from me ... I have turned to using drugs my drug of choice is methamphamines and I have been choosing to do these drug due to loneliness and it was a poor descion on my part I've choose to go to the arms of 2 men I thought truthfully cared but very sadly I was beyond mistaken the first guy lead me to believe we were destined to be and then kicked me out on to the streets by my self and to live a life on the streets is very difficult when there is no money coming from outside sources like I do not understand how there are so many homeless that have ssi every month I wish I could afford a hotel 3 weeks out of the month cuz I would hustle my butt off to come up with the last week to be able to shower and eat normal meals ... It's hard to live a balanced life to eat right and have clean clothes .... With all the resources on the south side of town or way across the north side it hard to walk the distances to get there and in the end it depends on whether or not the cops have drove you away from the north side people tend to go to people that are completely wrong for them and end up in very unhealthy realtionships and I've experienced all the games in this twisted life I've been in the position of finding a spot to sleep where the police won't mess with you just to have a sheriff roll up on you and tell you to leave .... And when u think you find a nice quiet spot on the river out at the lake someone esle has to be complete dicks and take that spot or destroy what u work for the dishonor amongst the homeless people they will lie steal and cheat you outta ur last dime and then will turn around and sit down and do everything to convince you that your important to them just because you have something they want or need something from from you ....I have a job I was to be the key holder for in n out when it first opened and my wallet was stolen brand new id and social security card gone in a flash so I went to obtain a I'd waiver and my ex destroyed it ... My ex and I had a beautiful start to a great realtionship when the RV was around life was grand but when it came time to face the real world and live with out the RV he started to change we fought all the time drug use became more and more and the ways to aquire these drugs became so tiresome and then we had the method of consumption and more fighting came about eventually we went to Nevada where he found he didn't want to be with me leaving me with out my car with out a friend in the world there was Matt who is out to better the world and he thinks of this place in a better light I my self wish I still had my van and was on my way to Oregon but until that day I'll be out here facing the same damn struggles day in and out just because no one wants to give a homeless chick a break and that's why at the end of the day I must stick up for my self and fight for a better life
ADDENDUM:
I was in foster care from age 3 to 20 and had my own place for 3 years so about 4 to 5 years but 2 1-2 on the streets
Sherry Veals, 27 Years old