LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The group Beauty 2 the Streetz brings help and hope to the homeless across the Southwest U.S., and founder Shirley Raines sees a growing need for help on the streets of Las Vegas.
Raines, once on the verge of homelessness, started offering haircuts and makeovers to people on Skid Row in Los Angeles. She saw the need for basic necessities, and her team and mission has expanded to provide essentials in Los Angeles and cities like San Diego, Sacramento and Las Vegas, all seeing a surge in people who are homeless or in need of social services.
“This just used to be my party city like everybody else. But outside of the partying and outside of the Strip, I was shown another world. I saw the streets,” she said.
Raines said she sees the growing demand for help: more people come, every time she comes to town.
“Word of mouth gets out about our supplies, about our food, about the way we give care about their dignity,” she said. “I think it’s the consistency; they know that they can depend on us for something that they don’t have: sleeping bags, tents, blankets. You guys have a lot of youth out here that’s homeless,” she said.
Though every city has resources and social services, Raines notices a common theme: many people don’t have access or do not know where to go. From families to individuals, those who lost their homes or need emergency help in a crisis often can’t find a rapid resource or a way to get to a location for aid.
“Each city does provide resources. Are they achievable resources? No, not at that stage. I’m not saying resources are not out there. I’m saying it’s not realistic. How can they do this without the baby steps?” Raines said, bringing help straight to neighborhoods.
For more information about volunteering and donations, click here: Beauty 2 the Streetz
For the GoFundMe campaign, click here: GoFundMe
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