"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."
"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 said."
"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 said. "They look in the mirror and see something other than homelessness. It just brings them back to who they were."
Shirley Raines, 58, founded and led Beauty 2 The Streetz, providing beauty services, food, showers, and other aid to people experiencing homelessness on Skid Row. She began feeding the homeless after losing a child and discovered women wanted hair and makeup as a brief escape and restoration of dignity. Raines cooked for 400–600 people weekly from her one-bedroom apartment while working full time. She earned trust through consistent weekly presence and emphasized vulnerability inherent in beauty services. Raines used media to amplify homeless voices and served communities across Los Angeles and Nevada. She was originally from Compton and was a mother of six.
Read at ABC7 Chicago
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