Shirley Raines (non-profit founder)

Shirley Raines
Born(1967-12-29)December 29, 1967
Compton, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 27, 2026(2026-01-27) (aged 58)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Known forFounder of Beauty 2 The Streetz
Children6
AwardsCNN Heroes (2021)

Shirley Raines (December 29, 1967 – January 27, 2026) was an American community activist. She was the founder of the non-profit Beauty 2 the Streetz, which provides hair and makeup services, food, clothing, hygiene and safety items to thousands of homeless people in Skid Row, Los Angeles. In 2021, she was chosen to be the CNN Hero of the Year. She was also chosen to be the NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Social Media Personality in 2025.

Early life and career

Raines grew up in Compton, California.[1] In 1990, her two-year-old son, Demetrius, died of accidental poisoning while staying with Raines's grandmother. For decades following this, Raines struggled with financial insecurity, grief, and loss.[2][3][4][5] Following this loss, she found that self-care and beautification helped her face her grief.[6] In 2017, when on a feeding mission on Skid Row with her church group, Raines found a "purpose for her pain," seeing a connection with the experience of the Skid Row community members.[4] Her personal style garnered interest from the homeless residents she was serving.[7] At the time, she was working as a medical biller.[5]

Raines and her children regularly returned to Skid Row, helping to hand out food, drinks, hygiene kits and beauty products that Raines funded.[8][3] Raines returned alone to color people's hair and do their makeup. When Raines began livestreaming the events and posting pictures to her the Beauty 2 the Streetz Instagram and TikTok pages, her efforts gained popularity, and Raines was contacted by licensed hair stylists, barbers, makeup artists and makeup companies who wanted to join her work.[citation needed]

In 2019, Raines registered Beauty 2 the Streetz as a 501(c)(3) organization. At the time, she made about 400 meals a week in her apartment in Long Beach each week, which she then delivered to Skid Row.[9]

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, Raines shifted the priorities of Beauty 2 the Streetz to adapt to the changing needs, working with health services to turn their outpost into a COVID testing and vaccination site and providing PPE and education along with the food and other supplies Beauty 2 the Streetz normally provided.[10] Raines also advocated for the homeless community, who had minimal access to important hygiene resources.[4][11]

In 2023, Raines expanded outreach services to San Diego.[12]

By January 2026, Raines' TikTok page, which covered some of her community activism, had five million followers.[13]

Death

Raines died in Las Vegas on January 27, 2026, at the age of 58.[13][14][15]

On February 18th, Raines's cause of death was revealed to be hypertensive heart disease. A spokesperson for the Clark County Coroner's Office confirmed the cause of death and added that the manner of death was natural.[16]

Awards and recognition

In 2021, she was chosen to be the CNN Hero of the Year, also receiving a $100,000 grant for her work.[9] In 2022, Raines was one of 17 activists who shared the stage with Lizzo upon accepting the People's Choice Awards for "The People's Champion."[17][18][19]

In 2025, she was nominated for the 56th NAACP Image Awards in the category Outstanding Social Media Personality of the Year.[20] Similarly, TIME named Raines as one of their TIME100 Creators for 2025.[21]

References

  1. ^ Valenti, Lauren (April 6, 2020). "Shirley Raines on Helping the Homeless of Skid Row During COVID-19". Vogue. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "Unsung Hero: Shirley Raines". University of Maryland Department of African American Studies.
  3. ^ a b Torgan, Allie (April 21, 2022). "CNN Hero of the Year Shirley Raines has more to give to the 'Kings' and 'Queens' of Skid Row". CNN. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Torgan, Allie; Escobedo, Tricia (December 13, 2021). "Shirley Raines, who brings beauty and hope to Skid Row, is CNN's Hero of the Year". CNN. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Caraballo, Ecleen Luzmila (September 2, 2021). "The Los Angeles Woman Bringing Beauty to the Homeless". The Cut. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  6. ^ "Why *Everyone* Should Have Access to Self-Care". Cosmopolitan. February 22, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  7. ^ DiMaggio, Emma (June 16, 2022). "This Long Beach-based nonprofit brings 'Beauty 2 the Streetz' of Skid Row". Signal Tribune. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  8. ^ "Shirley Raines | Not All Queens Live In Castles". flaunt.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Escobedo, Tricia; Torgan, Allie (December 13, 2021). "Shirley Raines, who brings beauty and hope to Skid Row, is CNN's Hero of the Year". CNN. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  10. ^ "Shirley Raines Is Giving Makeovers to the Unhoused Community in L.A." Allure. February 10, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  11. ^ Netzley, Luke. "Shirley Raines brings beauty, empowerment to Skid Row". Los Angeles Downtown News. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  12. ^ "Lionhearted woman stepping in to help San Diego's homeless community". cbs8.com. June 6, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  13. ^ a b Boone, Rebecca (January 29, 2026). "TikTok star Shirley Raines, known for bringing meals and respect to people on Skid Row, dies at 58". AP News. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  14. ^ "Shirley Raines, Viral Activist Known for Helping Homeless on Skid Row, Dies at 58". People.com. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  15. ^ Shirley Raines (January 28, 2026). "Statement from Beauty 2 The Streetz". Facebook. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  16. ^ Luke Chinman. "Cause of Death for Viral Activist Shirley Raines, 58, Revealed (Exclusive)" (web). People Magazine. United States: People.com. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
  17. ^ "Lizzo used People's Choice Awards speech to 'amplify marginalized voices' of these 17 activists". Los Angeles Times. December 7, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  18. ^ Madarang, Charisma (December 7, 2022). "Lizzo at People's Choice Awards: 'If I'm the People's Champ, I Don't Need a Trophy for Championing People'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  19. ^ "Meet the Unhoused Community Advocate Lizzo's Celebrating". The Sacramento Observer. December 20, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  20. ^ "NAACP Announces 56th Image Awards Nominees: Celebrating Black Excellence on February 22". BET. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  21. ^ Dresden, Hilton. "Shirley Raines: TIME100 Creators 2025". TIME. Archived from the original on July 9, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Raines_(non-profit_founder)