Shirley Raines, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Beauty 2 The Streetz, died in Las Vegas on January 27. She was 58. Her organization announced her passing on social media in a post titled “Rest in Power.”
Beauty 2 The Streetz announces her passing
“It is with profound sorrow and heavy hearts that Beauty 2 The Streetz announces the passing of our beloved CEO and founder, Shirley Raines, affectionately known to so many as Ms Shirley.”
The statement, posted to Raines’s Facebook and Instagram, praised her lifelong dedication to homeless communities in Los Angeles and Nevada. The organization said her work 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 post described the loss as “devastating” and asked for prayers for Raines’s family and the Beauty 2 The Streetz community.
Shirley Raines Attending Instagram Night Out With Latto Event – Source: Getty
Life, work and recognition
Born in Compton in December 1967 and raised in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles, Raines turned personal hardship into community activism. She founded Beauty 2 The Streetz to provide daily meals, clothing, hygiene and safety products, and hair and makeup services to thousands in Skid Row and San Diego while continuing to work as a medical biller earlier in her career.
Raines received wider recognition for her work: she was named a 2021 CNN Hero of the Year and won the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Social Media Personality.
Personal tragedy and legacy
Raines’s advocacy was shaped in part by an early personal tragedy. In 1990 she lost her young son, Demetrius Stephens Jr., to accidental poisoning while he was staying at a relative’s home. In later interviews she spoke about how that loss informed her decision to help others and described finding a sense of purpose through serving people experiencing homelessness.
“Losing my son was the worst experience that could ever happen, but it is the reason behind my nonprofit and is the sole core of why I do what I do,” Raines told PEOPLE in a past interview.
She is survived by five adult children. The cause of Raines’s death has not been disclosed. The nonprofit’s announcement and posts on Raines’s social accounts drew tributes from the public and from celebrities, including Lizzo.
Further information was promised by Beauty 2 The Streetz as it and the community it served begin to mourn the loss of a leader many credited with turning personal pain into sustained service to others.
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