In 2016 Michelle lost two of her four children to suicide. Like Neil Peart, the drummer for Rush and author of Ghost Rider, she decided to hit the road on her motorcycle to try and figure out how to heal, how to want to keep living.
When Michelle was a little girl, her family escaped Czechoslovakia and came to America. Once they became citizens, they began to explore this wondrous place they could now call home. At every opportunity they piled into the pink station wagon and hit the road: Cheyenne Rodeo Days, Indian Reservations, the Petrified Forest, Meteor Crater,… The list goes on and on!
In September of 2022, Michelle sold her house and decided to go exploring again. A friend suggested starting a MotoVlog to share her adventure and to give hope to others. “Over the years I’ve learned that most people don’t even know about the wonders in their own back yard. I thought showing them what’s out there might get them interested in exploring too.”
She now travels in support of Project 24 Seven.
What is Project 24 Seven?
Project 24 Seven (P24S) is the brainchild of Michelle Cleveland. After a networking colleague called to check on her, it occurred to her how she would not have reached out to him in a moment of crisis, despite him telling her to call “any time”.
“It occurred to me that when I had been very low, I sat scrolling through the contact list on my phone. Each time I paused on a name I would think of a reason NOT to call. What if I had a list though? A list of those people who TOLD me to call.”
In the aftermath of suicide, you will hear people saying, “Why didn’t he call me?” That instinctual feeling that you could have helped is right. Suicide hotlines are promoted because over 90% of those in crisis will change their mind if you can get them talking at that moment of decision.
What if you could remove the friction and the excuses to reaching out to those you know? What if with the touch of a button your phone would reach out for you? Wouldn’t those who know you then be in the best position to reach out to others who care to circle the wagons and help if needed?
Project 24 Seven was initially founded to fund development of the app that will do just that. The mission has since grown to encompass support of suicide prevention and education programs worldwide.