Former Homeless Friends Turn Storage Units Into Hope

Shula Kitkowska and Louis Peralta first became neighbors in a Rhode Island homeless shelter, both working to rebuild their lives from rock bottom. Today, they're turning trash into treasure for hundreds of people who need it most.

Kitkowska, 42, was living in her car when she entered supportive housing. Peralta, 56, needed shelter after being discharged from cancer treatment. Living next door to each other, they formed an unlikely partnership that would change their community.

Peralta had been buying abandoned storage lockers at discount for 25 years, selling valuable items and throwing away the rest. When Kitkowska saw him tossing out 80 to 90 percent of what he found, she knew there was a better way.

"When I came out of homelessness I had nothing," Kitkowska told WJAR News. "What I can do for people today is give what I can."

Now in permanent housing, the duo launched Up 2 Us Neighbors. Peralta buys the storage units, and Kitkowska keeps the household essentials in her own home. Coffee tables, clothes, nursery furniture, anything people need to start over.

Their first social media post brought several requests. Now they field over 100 requests at a time and have helped hundreds of Rhode Islanders. The policy is simple: upon request, no questions asked.

The Ripple Effect

What started as two people has grown into a movement of 30 to 40 volunteers. The pair now maintains three storage lockers full of donated items, and they're fundraising for a box truck to meet growing demand.

Kitkowska spends about 10 hours a day fulfilling requests, delivering items or arranging pickups. She doesn't take any money for herself. "I do it because it makes me feel good," she said. "That's all."

In a time when everything costs more and families struggle to afford basics, Up 2 Us Neighbors offers something priceless: dignity without barriers. From a family needing size 12 clothes to someone furnishing their first apartment after homelessness, the duo helps without judgment.

"We are stronger when we look out for each other," Kitkowska wrote on Facebook, reflecting on her journey from shelter to servant leader.