Table of Contents
Viral Activist Shirley Raines’ Cause of Death Revealed at 58
The cause of death has been made public for viral advocate Shirley Raines. Raines was on January 27 found unresponsive at her home in Henderson, Nevada. She was well known to millions for her efforts in distributing food and other items to the homeless on Skid Row, the twin sister Shelia informed PEOPLE.
Danielle Williams, Raines’ daughter, in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, indicated that her mother’s death was due to hypertensive heart disease. Clark County Coroner’s Office spokesperson confirmed the cause of death and stated that the manner of death was natural.
Shirley was the initiator of Beauty 2 The Streetz, a charitable organization that equips the homeless community of Skid Row with the necessary resources. Skid Row is an area consisting of 50 blocks situated in Downtown Los Angeles that happens to have one of the largest homeless populations in the United States.
Shirley Raines’ Mission With Beauty 2 The Streetz Went Viral
Beauty 2 The Streetz, the charity started by Shirley Raines, amassed a huge fan following – more than 6 million fans in total on Instagram and TikTok—by posting videos of Raines handing out food, supplies, and providing support to the homeless on the streets. The account even posted footage of Shirley less than two days before her death.
Besides that, the community at large recognized the non-profit for pampering the homeless women with beauty makeovers, thus playing a significant role in changing the perception of homelessness whilst shining the light on the dignity of those living in Skid Row.
“Returning the face of homelessness was truly one of the things I wanted to do. I thought I was going to do that by giving hair and stuff,” Shirley said in an interview with PEOPLE in 2020. “But then it hit me very soon that we had to change the narrative of what ‘homeless’ means. Just because they have no home doesn’t mean they’ve lost love. They are homeless, but many of them are not without a job. Many of them are not without children, without a phone, or without family. There are as many levels of poverty as there are levels of wealth.”
Shirley Raines Was Found Unresponsive After Family Requested Wellness Check
Shirley Raines’ twin sister Shelly told PEOPLE the following day that on Jan. 27, it was Raines’ youngest daughter who got worried when she wasn’t able to get in touch with her and kept calling her all day. To calm her nerves, she proceeded to drive to Shirley’s place and “waited and waited,” Shelia narrated, later even hurling some rocks through a window in an effort to get her attention.
Eventually, Shirley’s daughter decided to call the police to check on her. Law enforcement officers located the activist still in her bedroom lying on the side of the bed, “unresponsive,” and there were “no visible signs” to immediately determine what had happened, Shelia said. “We’re in shock,” she said.
A police report acquired by PEOPLE indicates that officers were sent to the location at about 4:43 p.m. and had to “force entry” to gain access to the house. Raines was found “on the floor next to her bed upstairs,” the officers noted.
Beauty 2 The Streetz Remembers Shirley Raines’ Humanitarian Work
On the basis of the report, when the officers went into the room they noticed there was a “finished plate of food” lying on the bed of Shirley Raines and “a single white pill of some sort” was found near her pillow. Originally, Danielle Williams had told PEOPLE that it was probably her mother’s daily Prozac pill which is an antidepressant that is widely prescribed and Raines had been quite public about her use of the drug.
Beauty 2 The Streetz talked about Shirley Raines’ contributions in a tribute released under her name after the announcement of her passing.
“She was a relentless advocate, a deeply compassionate and an absolutely committed person and we will remember her for these traits,” they wrote together. “Her media influence was a powerful tool that she used to get the voices of the downtrodden heard and to bring slaves, resources, and hope to the least privileged parts of society.”
“The loss of Ms. Shirley has hit like a thunderbolt not just our team but also the beauty 2 the streetz, all the communities we work with, and the innumerable people who were touched by Ms. Shirley’s love, kindness, and sacrifice without an inch of self-interest.”
