What I Love About Me: Shirley Raines
The Beauty2theStreetz founder, 52, provides essentials and self-care services to L.A.’s homeless population. Here, she talks mental health and staying positive amid a pandemic.
![beauty2thestreetz founder shirley raines](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fk5opg7XyYtsA3rJKunXbA-415-80.jpg)
My nonprofit was started during a dark time. I lost a child several years ago and went through a period of questioning what I was supposed to do with this life. I was looking for a way to give back and make some sense out of my situation when a friend invited me to serve the homeless with him. It was the missing piece of my puzzle. Oh my God, this is where all the broken people are, I thought that day.
They ended up being more interested in my hair and my makeup than the food and clothes we were passing out. I hadn’t intended to start a nonprofit, but I decided then and there that I would go back, and soon I started doing my own thing by providing haircuts, showers, makeovers, and everything that the homeless community of Los Angeles needs to feel good about themselves. Now, Beauty2theStreetz has about 30 volunteers serving 500 to 800 people weekly. It’s a glorious distraction; they just want to look in the mirror and see something beautiful. Who doesn’t?
Raines and her volunteers pre-COVID-19 performing a weekly hair, makeup, clothing, food, and shower service.
With the coronavirus pandemic, we’re also helping educate. At Skid Row, where we do our work, they’re panicking because they don’t have access to information. They don’t have TVs or news on smartphones to inform them about how the virus is spread. They can’t wash their hands, and many of them are HIV positive or immunocompromised. We’re trying to be proactive while also distancing, providing them with hand sanitizer donated by Bite, a toothpaste company. I normally cook; instead I’m buying McDonald’s for them because grocery stores are out of stock with people hoarding staples.
The homeless community has been invisible for so long. But I’m telling you, if this virus impacts them, everybody in the world will see them. It will mean 60,000 people flooding L.A. County hospitals. They will not be invisible anymore.
I’m very much an advocate for mental health, especially in the black community. I prioritize my own too. Taking all of these stories, all of the losses and heartbreak, home with me from the streets is overwhelming. And when I hit 50, I couldn’t handle the things I was previously able to overcome mentally with eating right, exercise, and diet alone; something just broke. For whatever reason, as I get older, my body needs some help to stay stable. We’re told to pray, but prayer has to be assisted by something else. You pray and go to therapy. You pray and take your medication. Now, I take an antidepressant every morning; that’s my version of self-care.
These are hard times, but I see my nonprofit like a marriage: We made a vow, through sickness and health, till death do us part. When the bad times come, we take it in stride, knowing that this is a moment. Good days will come again when we can wash their hair, do their nails, give them hugs. This is when the rubber meets the road, when you’ve got to push forward.
Go to beauty2thestreetz.org to support Raines’s efforts.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2020 issue of Marie Claire.
RELATED STORIES
Taylore Glynn is a former beauty and wellness editor for Allure. Previously, she served as beauty and health editor at Marie Claire and Harper’s Bazaar, and her work has appeared in Refinery29, Town & Country, Compound Butter, and RealSelf. She holds a master's degree in English and Creative Writing from Monmouth University. If you need her, she’s probably at the movies, braising a chicken, or evening out her cat eyeliner.
-
Jennifer Lopez's Bike Ride Outfits Keep Rolling On
This time, she's in an off-the-shoulder set and fisherman sandals.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
'Love Island USA' Stars Nicole Jacky and Kendall Washington Already Have Big Plans for Life Outside of the Villa
The season 6 finalists are looking past the finale and toward a future together.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Jennifer Lopez Replaces Her Gym Birkin With a Gym Blanket
Technically, it's a sweater.
By Kelsey Stiegman Published
-
This Valentino Perfume Is the Best Fragrance of 2024, According to Beauty Experts
It's a layerable, floral fragrance.
By Samantha Holender Published
-
Is Colostrum the New Collagen?
Doctors and wellness professionals have a lot to say about TikTok's supplement of the moment.
By Gabrielle Ulubay Published
-
TikTok Is Making "Unsexy" Beauty Products Seem Very Appealing
There's more to worthwhile products than pretty packaging.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Fendi's First Fragrances Are Designed for Fashion Obsessives
It's finally available to shop.
By Halie LeSavage Last updated
-
Why Beauty Experts Are Calling Out Youthforia's New Foundation
This isn't the way to do inclusive shades.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
The 32 Best Hair Growth Shampoos of 2024, According to Experts
Rapunzel hair, coming right up.
By Gabrielle Ulubay Published
-
The 20 Best Hair Masks for Damaged Hair, According to Experts and Editors
Healthy strands, here we come!
By Gabrielle Ulubay Last updated
-
How Often You Should Wash Your Hair, According To Experts
Keep it fresh, my friends.
By Gabrielle Ulubay Published