*Shirley Raines, founder and CEO of Beauty 2 The Streetz, who championed homeless communities across Los Angeles, has passed away at 58. Her organization confirmed the news on Wednesday, celebrating her impact on vulnerable populations.
“Ms. Shirley dedicated her life to serving others and made an immeasurable impact on homeless communities throughout Los Angeles and Nevada,” the nonprofit said in a statement. “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.”
Raines operated from Long Beach, delivering haircuts, cosmetics, hot meals, and shower access to individuals experiencing homelessness on Skid Row. “The reality of Skid Row is that it took a long time to earn that trust. I’m asking someone to close their eyes, lay their head back and be vulnerable,” Raines told ABC7 in a 2019 interview. “It took years of coming back every single Saturday.”
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Rashawn Williams, Raines’s daughter, worked alongside her mother serving the homeless. “She loved to help people,” Rashawn said, per the Los Angeles Times. “She loved everyone. She’s a beautiful soul, and she just carried so much. She really loved my baby brother who passed away. I’m just so happy for her that she gets to be with him. It’s bittersweet.”
Born in Compton with 26 years in medical professions, Raines shared common ground with those she served. “I’m a woman who actually lived this life in the streets, buried a child, went through traumatic relationships, was almost homeless myself, picked myself up, been working in the medical field for 26 years. I’m still very much ghetto, but I survived that,” Raines told ABC7. “I’m able to say, ‘I get it. I understand. But you’ve got to just get through it.'”
CNN named Raines the 2021 Hero of the Year. During her acceptance speech, she acknowledged her deceased son’s influence on her path. “This surely hasn’t been easy. I stand before you a very broken woman,” she said. “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.”
Beauty 2 The Streetz has not released details about Raines’s cause of death.
Shirley Raines is changing lives, May her memory be a blessing ?️ pic.twitter.com/AlkU08h79y
— zamohappy (@zamohappy) January 28, 2026
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