Meet Monica Benton

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Monica Benton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Monica, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I genuinely believe I found my purpose the moment I allowed myself to align my God-given gifts with the areas I had been professionally skillfully shaped to navigate. This didn’t happen overnight; it came together by me growing over several years to embrace all of who I am.

From a young age, I have known certain things about myself, including the fact that I was caring, empathetic, and direct.
But for a long time, I wrestled with fully accepting these traits.I grew up having the natural inclination to help, to be a fixer, to adapt, and to do it all without and needing much in return. At times, it felt messy—being good at so many things, being needed in so many ways, and yet not always knowing where it all fit. Still, I like to call this chapter of my life a good mess. Because it was in that chaos, in that unrefined stage of growth, that the foundation of my purpose was quietly forming.

As a child, I dreamed of making a difference—whether big or small, it all mattered to me.But it wasn’t until later in life that I truly understood the power in what differences are most important, impactful. The purpose moment for me was the strength that lies in women uplifting one another, specifically black women. It took me a bit longer to discover the power of black women supporting and lifting each other up.
What moved me most were the acts of love and mentorship that came without announcements or expectations—women who corrected me with grace, who guided me with care, and never once made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. They were simply invested in me being successful, and the loyalty that they shared with me in their acceptance had weight…

I was the first person to graduate from high school in my immediate family, and I was the first person in both maternal and paternal lines to complete college. It was much more than an accomplishment, it was a breakthrough for my family. I stood at the intersection of dreams and duty, knowing that others would follow. I was paving a path. That awareness carried weight, but it also brought purpose..

As a young single parent and a non-traditional college student, the values and unwavering support at every turn, provided me only opportunities to develop purpose .I feel I learned how to align my gifts, values, heritage, and faith to connect, intentionally. I now see what once seemed like a scattered set of skills now feels like a divine blueprint. It’s been a good mess of a journey, one that has led me to the ever evolving journey of intention, joy and purpose.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My name is Monica Benton. I am Cincinnati born and raised; I am a Licensed Social Worker; and I am passionate about helping others heal, grow, and thrive! For over 19 years, I have served as a therapist, advocate, and servant-leader to individuals and families using faith, empathy, and belief in power of transformation as guiding principles in an effort to help others change their lives.

As a first-generation college graduate, obtaining both my Bachelor’s and Masters in Social Work from the University of Cincinnati was not just a personal achievement—it was the start of a lifelong commitment. I began my career in child welfare, where I spent 10 years advocating for youth in the foster care system and actively working to eliminate educational and systemic barriers. This experience was foundational in my understanding of the kind of advocacy that is not always convenient, but always necessary.

My journey continued with my role at CityLink Center starting in 2015! I transitioned into a full-time position as a Social Work Service Coordinator. I collaborated with local nonprofits to develop holistic pathways for individuals living in poverty, and I supported them in their transition to education to employment.

Today, I am the Victim Advocate Practitioner for Cincinnati Police Department where I coordinate the CCROW program—Cincinnati Citizens Respect Our Witnesses. I support and protect witnesses of violent crimes. I walk alongside them through the judicial process to make sure their voices are heard, honored and protected. I also use a trauma-informed approach to clinical therapy at GuidingPath Therapy providing wellness support for individuals on their healing journeys. I find purpose in mentoring, especially young adults who have experienced trauma or lived in generational poverty. I enjoy coaching to help them locate their strength, purpose and value, and am the owner and CEO of intentional Connection LLC a coaching, mental health, therapy and coaching organization, I am just launching….stay tuned

Faith grounds my life. I serve at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church on the praise team, in the choir and as previous Assistant Youth Director. I am also proud to serve as the 1st Vice President of the Cincinnati Section of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). I help to lead organized community programs and the growth of our membership, which is vital to have strong leadership and representation in Cincinnati.
At the end of the day, my family is my greatest blessing. I am married to John and we have 1 biological daughter Shamiyah, but our home has paved ways for many. I have sought to build my legacy. I build perpetually, in faith, a future for generations rich with hope, justice and opportunity.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Figurer out what you do well, choose to be intentional about it and do it in excellence.
2. Remember every change in your journey tells a story.
3. Listen to the assigned voices that are given to you….key word is assigned and pray everyday.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

I grew up in the 90s, and I noticed a slow change in Black families that surrounded me. It wasn’t necessarily visible, at least not to me at first, but something was different. The neighborhood that I came up in during my childhood (Mt. Auburn) was full of two parent families, we relocated to at the time what was perceived as the suburbs (College Hill) There were two clear differences, lack of blacks in this neighborhood, and fewer and fewer dads to be found around our neighborhood and a bunch of latchkey kids from working mothers. I was in the 7th grade before I realized something that would stay with me for the rest of my life the presence of my parents, both of them weren’t just rare. It was meaningful and truly impactful.

I knew that my house always felt a bit more fuller than other people’s. Children were always present, cousins, schoolmates, eating with us, sleeping on the couch, even doing the housework as if they were part of the family, including going to church on Sundays, if you spend the weekend, it was non negotiable. My home was a sanctuary, a safe place where discipline and compassion converged, where each child was monitored and respected, we were nurtured and never even knew we didn’t have much.

What I understand now is that it wasn’t the location that made it a sanctuary. It was that my parents were present. Real, actual, intentional presence. My father wasn’t only my dad, but dad to everyone. And my mother, who was rough and straightforward, became mother to those who needed her the most. They didn’t discriminate based on DNA. They parented more young adults and children than they ever birthed. There is a ministry of presence, one day at a time, not just for your own but for a community of children who needed to be noticed. My parents’ presence was a living sermon consistency, responsibility, love, and acceptance wrapped up in every meal and dinner they cooked, and they cooked all the time and it was better than good…

I had no idea at the time that I was being raised in what others would think of as an anomaly a two-parent Black household at a time when their numbers were dwindling.

But the impact wasn’t so much in what we had, it was in what they gave. My parents instilled in me that love has no home walls. Their presence, more than anything else or words, shaped all of my siblings and it’s undoubtedly the reason why I am who I am and why my heart and life’s work is in servitude. It taught me that presence isn’t passive. It’s a choice. It’s choosing to be present in a n intentional way, not necessarily in body, but in spirit, to people even if they’re not yours. And now as an adult, looking back, I know that the most powerful thing my parents ever did was show up. Every day. To me. To us. To them. Their showing up changed lives, and It changed mine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.citylinkcenter.org/about-us/who-we-are/ https://www.guidingpathstherapy.com/about
• Instagram: Karreen_b
• Facebook: Monica Karreen

Image Credits

Michelle Abernathy