Social media influencer Shirley Raines, known for feeding people on Skid Row, has died. She was 58.
The Beauty 2 the Streetz founder and mother-of-six provided food, beauty products and haircuts to people living on Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles, CA.
Shirley was “found unresponsive” at home during a wellness check. She had been sick but she was not on any medications.
Her death was announced Wednesday on her organization’s X (Twitter) page:
“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. This loss is devastating to the entire Beauty 2 The Streetz team, the communities we serve, and the countless individuals whose lives were forever changed by Ms. Shirley’s love, generosity, and selfless service.”
Statement from Beauty 2 The Streetz
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. pic.twitter.com/SIWvfh1Crt— Shirley Raines (@beauty2streetz) January 28, 2026
Shirley was popular on TikTok, X, Instagram, and Facebook.
“One of the things I wanted to do was change the face of homelessness, and I thought I was going to do that through hair and all these things,” she told PEOPLE in 2020. “But I soon understood we needed to change the narrative of what ‘homeless’ means. Just because they’re without a home does not mean they’re without love. They are homeless, but a lot of them are not jobless. A lot of them are not kidless, phoneless or familyless. There are many levels of poverty as there are many levels of wealth.”
Sheila Raines, Shirley’s twin sister, told TMZ that the family is waiting for autopsy results, but no foul play is suspected.
TIME magazine added Shirley to its TIME100 Creators list in 2025.
