East Cleveland | Social Services
Natasha Lovelace was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio with family roots in East Cleveland. She joined the Army soon after graduating from Cleveland Heights High School and in 2011, her unit was deployed to Afghanistan where she served in Operation Enduring Freedom. After returning home, Natasha began studying psychology and sociology, driven by trauma-induced mental health disorders that many soldiers experience post-deployment and later obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Cleveland State University. In 2021 her daughter, Makayla, became a victim of gun violence when she was shot by a stray bullet. Makayla survived her brain injury and began healing by learning to thrive again. Currently, Natasha is continuing her education while serving Slavic Village as a community-based services provider with University Settlement. Natasha sits on the Veterans Advisory Committee with Everytown for Gun Safety and is an active member with Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. Her goal is to continue to advocate for mental health and gun violence awareness by researching the relationship between the two and fighting for the right to heal.
