Earth
The Face of Homelessness
Sometimes, just feeling better can make all the difference.
Shirley Raines is the founder of Beauty2theStreetz, and she brings makeup, haircuts, hygiene products, and showers to the homeless on LA’s Skid Row.
Raines and an army of volunteer hair stylists, barbers, and makeup artists use salon and camping equipment to serve up to 600 people every week.
She personally washes and colors hair, then sends her clients off with food and goodie bags.
She started small, with just herself and her six children, handing out food and makeup. Eventually, she began live-streaming her efforts, which went viral over social media, and others quickly jumped on board.
By 2019, Beauty2theStreetz became an official non-profit and her full-time job. She relies on contributions from Patreon and her Instagram and Twitter followers, as well as donations from makeup and hygiene companies.
Raines recognizes that the lack of a home doesn’t have to mean a lack of humanity.
And she’s delivering humanity and love to her own community as she works to change the narrative about homelessness, from the outside in, one beautiful makeover at a time.