Community activist Shirley Raines was an American. She founded the nonprofit Beauty 2 the Streetz, which offers thousands of homeless people in Skid Row, Los Angeles, food, clothing, hygiene products, hair and cosmetics treatments, and safety gear.
She won the CNN Hero of the Year award in 2021. Additionally, she was selected as the 2025 NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Social Media Personality.
Shirley Raines serving Humanity:
According to a statement from the group Beauty 2 The Streetz, “Ms. Shirley dedicated her life to serving others and made an immeasurable impact on homeless communities throughout Los Angeles and Nevada.” “Through her tireless advocacy, deep compassion, and unwavering commitment, she used her powerful media platform to amplify the voices of those in need and to bring dignity, resources, and hope to some of the most underserved populations.”
Through her foundation, the Long Beach homeowner provided Skid Row’s homeless residents with food, showers, beauty services, and more for years.
In actuality, it took a while to gain that trust in Skid Row. In a 2019 interview, Raines told ABC7, “I’m asking someone to close their eyes, lay their head back, and be vulnerable.” “It took years of coming back every single Saturday.”
In an effort to give back to the community after losing a child, Raines started feeding the homeless through another group. She soon discovered that the women she encountered had an interest in makeup and hair.
Shirley Raines’s take on Make-Up:
“Of course makeup is not going to take them off the streets, but its a small escape from this terrible reality they’re living in,” Raines stated. “They see anything other than homelessness when they gaze in the mirror. It simply returns them to their former selves.
Despite working a full-time job, the mother of six found time to prepare meals for 400–600 people each week in her one-bedroom apartment. The lack of sleep was worthwhile, according to Raines.Someone says, “Get out of the way, you bum,” every day of the week. Someone is saying, “You’re important,” on Saturday. You’re unique.
Raines, a native of Compton, was accustomed to adversity. She claimed that she had a strong bond with the ladies she encountered on Skid Row.
“I’m a woman who actually lived on the streets, buried a kid, experienced painful relationships, came dangerously close to homelessness, and has been employed in the medical sector for 26 years. Raines remarked, “I survived that, but I’m still very much ghetto.” “I can say, ‘I understand. I get it. However, you must simply go through it.
The 2021 CNN Hero of the Year award went to Raines. Raines thanked her children for inspiring her work, especially her late son, as she accepted the medal.
“This has undoubtedly been difficult. Her voice was choked with emotion as she stated, “I stand before you a very broken woman.” “I am a mother without a son and there are a lot of people in the streets without a mother – and I feel like it’s a fair exchange.”
Raines changed Beauty 2 the Streetz’s priorities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. They collaborated with health services to transform their outpost into a COVID testing and vaccination site, offering PPE and education in addition to the food and other supplies Beauty 2 the Streetz typically provided. Additionally, Raines supported the homeless population, who had limited access to crucial hygienic resources.
Details on Raine’s demise, including her cause of death, were not immediately known.
“We humbly ask that you keep Ms. Shirley’s family, loved ones, and the Beauty 2 The Streetz family in your prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement read. “Further information will be shared as it becomes available.”
