Shirley Raines, the founder of Beauty 2 The Streetz who dedicated her life to serving homeless communities, has died at age 58, her nonprofit organization announced on Wednesday.
Known affectionately as “Ms. Shirley” to her 5 million TikTok followers and the countless individuals she served, Raines transformed Los Angeles’ Skid Row into an outdoor salon every Saturday, offering haircuts, makeup services, meals, and dignity to those experiencing homelessness.
“Ms. Shirley dedicated her life to serving others and made an immeasurable impact on homeless communities throughout Los Angeles and Nevada,” her organization 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.”
Raines began her mission in 2017, two years after she started visiting Skid Row with her church to distribute meals. Her work was deeply personal, inspired by the loss of her young son.
“I’m a woman who actually lived this life in the streets, buried a child, went through traumatic relationships, was almost homeless myself,” Raines told ABC7 in a 2019 interview. “I’m still very much ghetto, but I survived that. I’m able to say, ‘I get it. I understand. But you’ve got to just get through it.'”
Despite working full-time in the medical field, the Long Beach resident and mother of six somehow found time to cook for 400-600 people weekly in her one-bedroom apartment. Her signature look—full glam makeup and brightly colored hair—became recognizable as she distributed not just food but also beauty services.
“Of course makeup is not going to take them off the streets, but it’s a small escape from this terrible reality they’re living in,” Raines explained. “They look in the mirror and see something other than homelessness. It just brings them back to who they were.”
Her impact extended beyond physical services. Melissa Acedera, founder of Polo’s Pantry, recalled how Raines remembered people’s birthdays and took special care to reach out to transgender and queer individuals often on the outskirts of Skid Row. Crushow Herring of the Sidewalk Project noted that Raines often gave people experiencing homelessness positions within her organization, providing them with responsibility and purpose.
Raines’ work earned her national recognition, including being named CNN’s Hero of the Year in 2021 and receiving the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Social Media Personality in 2025.
Just days before her death, Raines posted a video showing her handing out lunches from her car, greeting recipients as “King” or “Queen” with her characteristic warmth and respect.
Her cause of death has not been released. Beauty 2 The Streetz has asked for prayers for Raines’ family and promised to share additional information when available.
“Her legacy will continue to live on through the work she started and the hearts she touched,” the organization stated.
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