Cindy Brookshire receives Frances Finch Hobart Award for Voluntary Community Service
Cindy Brookshire, co-founder of the volunteer-led nonprofit Activate Selma, has received the Frances Finch Hobart Award for Voluntary Community Service.
Brookshire received the award from the Johnston County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation, at a surprise presentation on Wednesday at the Rudy Theatre in Selma, N.C. (Pictured above from left: JCCF Secretary Lorine Davis, Cindy Brookshire, JCCF President LaShawndra White.)
The Hobart Award is presented annually to someone from Johnston County who has demonstrated a commitment to service resulting in a stronger community. Award recipients help others solve social problems by giving their time, talent and energy; meet community needs through volunteering and mobilizing other volunteers; and demonstrate vision, selflessness and generosity.
“Active and innovative volunteers are essential to the growth and success of Johnston County,” said Frances Finch Hobart, in honor of whom the award was established in 2006. “Through her service to Activate Selma, and many other causes, Cindy Brookshire has set a wonderful example for our community.”
In 2018, Brookshire joined Jeffery Hamilton, Donna Reid and Melissa Dooley in forming a group focused on revitalizing downtown Selma. Since then, she has spent thousands of volunteer hours helping plan, organize and execute community events and enhancements. Her service through Activate Selma includes:
- Initiating signature programs such as Rockin’ on Raiford concert series, and hundreds of events such as open mics, networking gatherings and beautification efforts.
- Facilitating weekly conversations and partnerships between residents, the Town of Selma, the Johnston County Visitors Bureau, Johnston County Arts Council, local businesses, libraries and faith communities.
- Authoring the book A Heart for Selma: 12 Stories of Activate Selma NC, which captures the journey of volunteers choosing to invest in their community.
- Sending a weekly community‑wide email newsletter that keeps activists, businesses and residents informed, encouraged and connected.
“Under Cindy’s steady, servant-hearted leadership, Activate Selma has flourished as a model grassroots movement in Johnston County,” said nominator Mike Jentes, chair of Activate Selma. “From its beginnings as a small discussion group of four, Cindy has inspired others to take ownership of their town’s renewal—guiding by example, listening well, and inviting broad participation.”
Jentes attributes the growth of the organization to a thriving network of more than 300 to Brookshire’s quiet persistence and collaborative spirit.
Beyond her work for Activate Selma, Brookshire serves Johnston County through a variety of nonprofit, literary and community roles:
- She is a board member with Neuse River Writers, a nonprofit writers’ group active in promoting local authors and storytelling since 2022.
- She serves as a regional representative for the North Carolina Writers’ Network, helping connect and encourage writers across eastern North Carolina.
- Brookshire is active with the Johnston County Arts Council, where she contributed to their recent book Johnston County Creates: 50 Years of Creativity.
- Brookshire is an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Smithfield.
As part of her award, Brookshire was asked to select a local nonprofit to receive a $2,300 grant from the Frances Finch Hobart Award for Voluntary Community Service Fund. She selected Activate Selma as the recipient of the grant.
About the Johnston County Community Foundation
Founded in 1992, the Johnston County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation led by a local volunteer advisory board. JCCF helps build community assets through the creation of permanent endowments, makes grants and leverages leadership – all for the benefit of Johnston County.
Board members include: LaShawndra White (president), Rick Childrey (vice president), Lorine Davis (secretary), Don Boyette, Gwen Canady, Margaret W. DiNubila, Nancy Faber, Bill Galloway, Oliver Johnson, Suefan Johnson, Jeanelle McCain, Teresa McDonald and Betsy G. Whittington. Learn more about their work at nccommunityfoundation.org/Johnston.
About the North Carolina Community Foundation
The North Carolina Community Foundation transforms the collective generosity of our donors into a permanent source of community support, with a focus on the state’s rural areas.
NCCF partners with donors and a network of affiliates to sustain over 1,300 endowments totaling nearly $570 million in assets. More than $338 million has been awarded as grants to charitable organizations and scholarships to students, creating stronger communities for generations to come.