Shirley Raines offers makeovers, food and showers to homeless people in Los Angeles.
Raines initially started her volunteer work by serving food to the homeless on Skid Row with another organization. She noticed that a lot of the women seeking support would ask questions about her hair and makeup.
“As we passed out food, the women were more interested in my hair color and my makeup. And they used to compliment me, going ‘oh my god, we love your makeup’ or ‘we love your hair color’ or ‘you smell so good’.” Raines told Insider.
This eventually led Raines to establish her own organization, Beauty2TheStreetz, dedicated to helping the female houseless population in Los Angeles. The Long Beach native takes the time to travel to Los Angeles and prepares food for 400-600 people every weekend while working full-time and being a mother of six.
“When the women sit in the chair I show them the mirror as the process is going on. You should see their face change and their smile. They light up.” she told Insider. “Feeling good is the first step to healing.”
Raines is a perfect example of combining a skill set with compassion to help those who have fallen on hard times.
For ways to get involved follow Shirley Raines on Instagram @beauty2thestreetz.
