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Endangered Homeless Woman Safe, United with Daughter

May 16, 2021 By Eric Caine 3 Comments

Cheryl Littlefield’s daughter, who prefers to remain anonymous, was stunned when she found her mother on the street last Thursday.

“The last time I saw her was in November,” said the daughter. “She still had her room then. It was packed full of her belongings and a lot of trash, but her rooms have been that way for years.”

According to her daughter, Cheryl has a history of mental illness going back decades. “My father got custody of the kids when we were small,” she says. “That’s how bad it was, because back then the mother almost always got custody.”

Despite being raised by her father and a stepmother, Cheryl’s daughter has always tried to keep in touch, even through all her mother’s erratic and sometimes threatening behavior. She says Cheryl lived with a man for years in a trailer park on south 7th Street in Modesto, but has been on her own for at least a decade.

Cheryl Littlefield and daughter

At one point, she lived in Shiva’s Motel on south 9th Street, which became uninhabitable after a fire in 2014.

“She got worse after the fire at Shiva’s,” said her daughter Sunday. “But up until recently, she had another room and I still checked on her.”

Cheryl apparently lost her room not long after her daughter visited in November, but she kept telling anyone who asked she still lived there. Cheryl’s daughter only learned Thursday that Modesto’s Homeless Engagement and Rescue Team had removed her from the streets in early March.

No one is sure how the seventy-four year old woman ended up back on the sidewalk after a circuitous journey through Stanislaus County’ systems of care, but outreach workers acted swiftly when they learned on Thursday that she was back at her old haunts on south 9th Street. Despite clear signs of mental illness, Cheryl may have convinced people she still had a room and could take care of herself.

Cheryl Little field and daughter

By Friday, Cheryl had been transported to a secure location in Modesto, not far from where she was found. Within a short time, she had clean clothes, a bed, a bathroom, and access to care. However, her situation is still precarious; her current location is a transitional facility. Her daughter is working with Stanislaus County authorities to find her a suitable place to live permanently. Even while aware of how difficult it is to find care for the mentally ill, she’s determined Cheryl won’t have to endure the peril of today’s urban streets, where a mentally ill elderly woman can be especially vulnerable to cruel predators.

During a visit on May 16, mother and daughter enjoyed discussing a future that will include sleeping on a bed instead of the sidewalk, and ready access to compassionate care. Cheryl seemed delighted when her daughter knelt down and inspected her feet, saying, “We’re really going to have to do something about those toenails.”

 

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Cheryl Littlefield, Homelessness and Poverty in Stanislaus County, Homelessness in Modesto, Homelessness in Stanislaus County, Homelessness in the San Joaquin Valley

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ally says

    May 16, 2021 at 7:32 pm

    Cheryl’s Daughter,

    A+. As soon as you knew she needed help you were there for your mother.
    Having a homeless family member (my son) is a difficulty that only those who have experienced it can understand.
    Stay strong.

    Reply
  2. L.hagberg says

    May 16, 2021 at 8:56 pm

    I think she used to always be at the flea market on Crows Landing now ElRematito, with a guy who sold tools and had a penny pitch in the back .Well a quarter pitch gambling thing. Is that her? Nice woman then, long ago

    Reply
  3. Laur says

    May 16, 2021 at 9:55 pm

    I’m s happy to hear she has a Wonderful caring daughter whom didn’t stop trying to help her mom! Such a blessing to find her safe!! I Thank you to our outreach services for finding Cheryl a new home & the rapid response to get her there🙏🏻🙏🏻

    Reply

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