LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — As Las Vegas continues to mourn philanthropist known as Ms. Shirley Raines, founder of “Beauty 2 The Streetz,” her family is determined to carry forward a legacy that touched millions.
The loss of Ms. Shirley has sent shockwaves through Las Vegas and Los Angeles. But long before she gained millions of followers on social media and before the viral videos and celebrity tributes, her daughter says it was always about one simple truth: showing the homeless that someone cares.
A mother’s compassion
What her daughter Danielle Williams remembers most is the way her mother saw people—not as strangers, but as family.
“She was able to see the humanity in every person,” Williams said.
To Ms. Shirley, it didn’t matter who you were or what you were going through. If you needed help, Beauty 2 The Streetz would be there.
“She didn’t look at a person as unhoused or having a mental episode like it was scary or dangerous. She saw that person in need. She knew how to protect herself and how to navigate the situation safely,” Williams said.
From small beginnings to global impact
From Skid Row to the streets of Las Vegas, Williams says her mom invited the world to witness compassion in action.
“Not only is she helping all these people, but she’s connecting to the world. But even in all of that, we did not anticipate how much outpouring of love and support it’s gotten,” Williams said.
Celebrities including Lizzo and Eva Mendes have posted tributes to Ms. Shirley, reaching more people than the family could have imagined.
“I think it’s really important to note too, they are new to the public, but they have been supporting behind the scenes for years,” Williams said.
The movement started small—in a tiny studio apartment where a daughter encouraged her mother to share her heart with the world, said Williams.
“I remember I was there from the beginning of it. I remember being on her bedroom floor in her tiny studio apartment. I said, ‘You should make a social media,’” Williams said.
“I came up with the name Beauty 2 The Streetz. She was like, ‘But it needs to be a 2 and a Z because that makes it hood, and I’m hood, and I’m from Compton.’ I remember that,” Williams said.
Mission continues
No matter which neighborhood Beauty 2 The Streetz visited, it changed lives—thousands of them. Now, Williams says that work will continue.
“My mom, being the creator of Beauty 2 The Streetz, she created this living, breathing mission that lives on in her team and through all of her supporters. There’s so many people that now put stuff in their cars to give out to the homeless,” Williams said.
“I think she really has set forward something that’s going to last forever,” Williams said.
Williams says the family is working closely with the nonprofit’s team to ensure Beauty 2 The Streetz continues. She says it was Ms. Shirley’s dream to expand her mission to other states—a dream that will now become her legacy.
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