My name is Ashley Guillermo, and I founded Project Ring Inc., a registered nonprofit organization, when I was just 16 years old.
Growing up, I often felt alone in my struggles with mental health. It wasn’t until I was placed in a therapeutic program during high school that I realized how many others were silently fighting similar battles. The problem wasn’t that we were alone — it was that no one was talking about it. There wasn’t enough education, understanding, or support, and the stigma surrounding mental health caused so many of us to suffer quietly.
Back then, I wish someone had told me what I know now: I wasn’t broken, I wasn’t weak, and I definitely wasn’t alone. I was bigger than my anxiety, my pain, and my fear.
Like many teens, I didn’t always cope in healthy ways. But on my 16th birthday, I made a promise to myself that my story wasn’t over. I got my first tattoo — a semicolon with a heartbeat leading into a butterfly. Inspired by the Semicolon Project, it symbolized continuation, survival, and hope. The heartbeat reminded me I was still here. The butterfly came from a therapy exercise where we drew butterflies on our skin instead of hurting ourselves — giving them names and purpose to protect them, and in turn, protect ourselves.
That same year, I created Project Ring.
What began as a small act of giving back has grown into Project Ring Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to bridging the gap between crisis and long-term support. Over the years, it has evolved into a hands-on outreach organization focused on mental health awareness, breaking stigma, and providing tangible, real-world support to individuals experiencing homelessness and hardship.
Through handmade bracelets, donations, and community support, Project Ring has raised thousands of dollars to fund housing assistance, clothing, food, hygiene supplies, and access to mental health resources. More importantly, we show up — on the streets, in shelters, and at community events — meeting people face-to-face with dignity, compassion, and care.
Today, I serve as a paramedic in Jersey City, and every shift reinforces why this work matters. I see firsthand how mental health struggles, lack of resources, and homelessness intersect. I meet people in crisis, individuals who have lost access to care, and those who simply need someone to advocate for them after the emergency ends.
Project Ring Inc. exists to fill that gap — to be the support that continues after the sirens stop.
Sharing my story is deeply personal, but I do it because if even one person reads this and feels less alone, it’s worth it. Your struggles do not define you. They do not determine your future. Healing is possible. Life can get better.
I know — because I’ve lived it.
And now, I get to help others believe it too.