Never, Ever Give Up
Allison [Meyer] Hite
2019 Finalist
Authentic Cleveland Experiences category
Presented in partnership with:
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Honoring Cleveland’s perseverance by allowing people to share and motivate others to never, ever give up with a wall of handwritten stories, answering the question: What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
Keep up to date with Never, Ever Give Up Cleveland project on their website, and by following them on Facebook and Instagram.
July 28, 2020
Never Ever Give Up Cleveland has started a podcast to showcase Stories of Struggle and Letters of Hope from across Northeast Ohio.
June 2, 2020
Allison and Never Ever Give Up Cleveland were highlighted in a recent Heights Observer article. In the article Meyer shares, “Maybe there’s a giant one downtown, and Cleveland becomes known as this place that really encourages people to support others in their struggles,” Meyer suggested. “You don’t get a trophy for dealing with trauma and pain. But you can reach back and share wisdom and insights you’ve gathered. That’s a trophy for helping someone else.”
May 19, 2020
Allison is publishing a book, Never, Ever Give Up: Anonymous Stories from Northeast Ohio. The book is a collection of stories “about finding the strength to leave an abusive relationship, moving to a new country, asking for help, learning how to ride a bike, being a first-generation college student, and comforting a mom who just lost her son to suicide.” The book also includes Letters of Hope, “encouraging the storyteller to never, ever give up.”
Learn more and pre-order the book >
April 14, 2020
Allison is helping people to stay connected during this time of social distancing. The mailbox is out and she is encouraging people to grab a piece of paper and pen and write a Letter of Hope.
From April 13 – April 20, 2020, you can head over to the Cleveland Heights Library on Conventry and drop your Letter of Hope into the sunny yellow mailbox. Never Ever Give Up will share the Letters of Hope to help build community.
If you’re interested in hosting the mailbox, email NeverEverGiveUpCLE@gmail.com.
September 3, 2019
The Never, Ever Give Up – CLE art installation at Hart Crane Park has come to an end but Never, Ever Give Up Cleveland will continue to collect and share stories and Letters of Hope on their website, and on Facebook and Instagram.
Never Ever Give Up Cleveland was featured by Cleveland Magazine. In the article, Allison shares, “Stigma and societal norms tell us that we shouldn’t be sharing this, because somehow, it’s bad to struggle … But everybody has pain, and we should be able to share openly about that. My project is trying to liberate us from these pressures so we can interact in a way quickly that would normally take years.” Read the full story >
July 16, 2019
Allison and her Never, Ever Give Up Cleveland project were highlighted by FreshWater Cleveland. In the article, Allison shares some of her thinking about the project. “You never really know what someone is going through … You never know the whole story. Maybe [people] will think about what others are going through and lead their lives with a little more kindness.”
June 27, 2019
Never, Ever Give Up Cleveland hosted a Common Ground conversation on June 30 about “struggle, resilience, and sharing about hard times.” The conversation took place at the installation at Hart Crane Park. They also hosted an Open Mic Night at the installation on July 31.
May 9, 2019
Per a neverevergiveupcle Instagram page post, “Starting June 1st, come to Hart Crane Park downtown in the flats to view the installation that is Never, Ever Give Up – CLE. Read and connect with the stories and write someone a Letter of Hope to drop in the big yellow mailbox. The installation will be up until August 31st…”
Sharing our stories may be the most important thing we do for ourselves and for others. Come join us this summer, be a part of the community, and encourage others to never, ever give up.
Visit www.neverevergiveupcle.com/ to learn more. You can also follow Never, Ever Give Up on Instagram @neverevergiveupcle and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Never-Ever-Give-Up-CLE-2800179140022522/
April 8, 2019
Allison was on the Cool Cleveland podcast. Listen now >
March 26, 2019
Allison was Live on Lakeside at WKYC. See the clip >