Monica Lynch: This Year’s Remarkable Woman 2025
By Jewelean Magee
Ms. Monica Lynch, 55, is this year’s local winner of the “Remarkable Woman” 2025 and won $1,000.00 for the charity of her choice.
Ms. Lynch served in the U.S. Marine Corps, a cancer survivor, a community activist, and a lifetime member of the Johnetta R. Cole Am vets Post 24. How it all got started with the “Remarkable Woman” contest when her sister, Ms. Charnaye Sanders signed Ms. Lynch up and sent in a photo and biography. According to Ms. Lynch there were more than 5,000 entries sent into WIVB-TV (channel 4). From all the entries Ms. Lynch was selected as one of the finalists.
“After reading my story, all 5 judges at channel 4 selected me before they declared a local winner. This was done around December 2024 – January2025 and my sister came to Buffalo to give me the results. Once I received the results, the biggest surprise was the waiting period, and I couldn’t tell any one.”
On April 1, 2025, Ms. Lynch was interviewed by channel 4 news report er Jordan Norkus. “I was taken to a restaurant on Main and Allen Streets called “Pennys.” Inside the restaurant I received flowers and there was a news camera taking my picture. The cam eraman was a friend of my sister. Ms. Norkus made the announcement of me being the local winner of this year’s “Remarkable Woman.”
Shortly thereafter, Ms. Lynch had to fly to Los Angeles for 2 days, and had the chance to take someone with her. “My aunt Ms. Cecelia Lynch from Houston Texas came and met me there. There were 125 other women from across the country and we were treated like royalty. Each of us had our own limousine and nice hotel accommodations.”
Ms. Lynch went on to say that there five or six women that won $5,000.00 each and one lucky woman that won the grand prize of $20,000.00.
“Even though I didn’t win, I felt good representing Buffalo. Upon returning home Ms. Lynch received many kudos and accolades for winning the local contest.
Finally, Ms. Lynch plans to continue being active in the community starting with her goal of opening the Ber nard and Eric Resource Center aimed at assisting young women “aging out” of the foster care system. She wants to teach them life skills, such as bill paying, job readiness, budgeting, drug abuse, domestic violence, and sex trafficking. “The resource center will cre ate a sense of stability by giving these young women and men a place to live on their own.” And this is what makes Monica Lynch a “Remarkable Woman.”