Vineyard Central would like to recognize two new faces in our community. Laura Menze and Natasha Beljin, we extend a warm welcome to you!  To get in contact with these new members, reach out here.

INTRODUCING LAURA MENZE

I know that I have met many of you already, formally, informally or otherwise, but I wanted to introduce myself to the community. I moved to Cincinnati in February from Indianapolis/Fort Wayne, IN for a job and became introduced to VC soon afterwards. I am now working at Summit Behavioral Health, a regional psychiatric hospital, as an occupational therapist working with individuals with serious/chronic mental illness, including many involved in the legal system. In my free time, I enjoy conversations, cooking, sharing meals, sewing, reading, and being outside. As my job may suggest, I am also particularly interested on the complex web of how faith, mental health, disability, substance abuse, employment, quality of life, poverty, homelessness, etc. intersects.

When I moved to Cincinnati, I knew no one and had a day to find an apartment. I therefore found an apartment in East Hyde Park – little did I know I would end up being in West Norwood at least once a day. Although Hyde Park is not too far and the apartment is great, I am looking to move to Norwood. However, I have a lease that runs through the end of January. Therefore, I am looking for anyone who knows someone (or is someone) who would be interested in subletting the apartment in order to facilitate a move to Norwood. I am flexible on dates and the possibility of leaving it furnished. If you know or hear of someone who is interested, definitely let me know and I can pass on information/pictures/etc.

INTRODUCING NATASHA BELJIN

Natasha grew up on Shadyoak Ct. in Cincinnati. She has always loved sitting in the woods reading literature/theology or playing with sticks. She recently spent a year being pruned by working residential care and then a year learning how to abide and produce fruit at a monastery in Virginia. She now lives in Norwood above the Bird, but you can find her in the tree house a great deal. Her desire is to have strong roots that others might lean on her, perhaps one day in a full time ministry position, but for now she is largely just learning how to grow toward the sun.