PROJECT H.O.P.E. HOUSE IS A VITAL HUMAN RESOURCE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
IT’S A SUBJECT that can be hard to talk about. But talking about it is the most important first step to finding help and support for those who are considering ending their lives as an option out of their pain or despair. Project H.O.P.E. House is a vital resource for those teenagers, adults, veterans, and elderly people who need a place to go for help. Throughout his career, Project H.O.P.E. House Founder Ray Paigentini has seen hundreds of lives, most of whom were saved, supporting the fact that early intervention works. Paigentini worked as a high school guidance counselor at Barrington High School for 32 years. He is certified in grief counseling, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), has a master’s in counseling from Northeastern University and a master’s in administration from Chicago State University. He started Project H.O.P.E. House as a nonprofit to help people and to give back after a long career in Barrington. “I’m here to help and pay it forward to the community that sustained my livelihood and career,” he said.
A SERENDIPITOUS MOMENT
It was June 1, 2018, when Paigentini saw a house at 231 West Main Street, near Barrington High School, that could be an ideal location for his post-retirement humanitarian project. He saw a man putting up a for-sale sign in the yard and stopped by to inquire about its price. This man was the home’s owner, entrepreneur Rick Heidner of Barrington. Piagentini shared that he was looking to create a safe place for students, veterans, and elderly people to come and talk, and be heard, if they were having problems and might even be considering an end to their life.
A COMMUNITY FOCUSED FAMILY
Heidner and his family are well-known for their caring of community and personal generosity. They have been instrumental in driving significant growth for the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation for pediatric cancer, supporting Folds of Honor which provides college education funding for families who lost a parent in the line of duty, and supporting Shelter Inc., which provides emergency and longer-term housing for children and adolescents who are abused, neglected, dependent, or in need of supervision. After sharing his vision, Heidner offered Piagentini this home on the spot—an extraordinary gift for the nonprofit aimed at saving lives and helping people who’ve lost loved ones find healing. Heidner’s daughter, Chase, is an advocate for Project H.O.P.E. House and as a BHS graduate, knows how important this resource is for students who need a keen ear, some direction and hope, and an accurate referral to the services needed to realize that life is worth living and that they matter. “We are currently providing a series of health seminars at The Arboretum of South Barrington on various mental health and self-care topics,” she said of the family’s outreach. For families who have lost someone to suicide, or other loss, Paigentini offers a unique “Wiping of the Tears” ceremony that he learned and is certified to provide from the Lakota Tribe of the Sioux Nation. “We need to support the families and help them honor their loss,” he said of the 40-minute healing ceremony. Paigentini shares that some of the root causes behind suicide ideation may lie in genetics, illicit and legal drug use, lack of sleep, concussions, second concussions, too much screen time, bullying, and a loss of multi-generational family connections, such as with grandparents. One of the protocols Piagentini uses is “EAR,”—educate, assess, and provide a referral. “Support is the key,” he said of the referral service he leads
Press Release from Quintessential Barrington
By: Lisa Stamos | Photography by Linda M. Barrett