Hernika Cannon builds healing-centered nonprofit in Kinston
For Hernika Pittman Cannon, transformation is not an abstract idea. It is a daily practice shaped by caregiving, grief, and a long-held vision for community healing.
Cannon is the founder and President of Act Now Community Development Corporation, Inc. (Act Now CDC), a Kinston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on trauma recovery, family stability, and community connection. Quiet by nature and self-described as an introvert, Cannon says stepping into the public eye has been intentional.
“This is outside my comfort zone,” she said. “But this is a new year, and I’m on a path of growth.”
Cannon, who is married to Tah'Ron Cannon, is the mother of three daughters, ages 22, 16, and 14. She also serves as her mother’s legal guardian and her father’s power of attorney, roles that have profoundly shaped both her personal life and her work.
ACT Now, which stands for Action Creates Transformation, Now is the time to spread your wings and fly, was first envisioned in 2013. Cannon initially focused on housing issues, drawing on years of experience working with housing authorities and community organizations. That focus expanded after a violent attack left her mother with a traumatic brain injury in 2020.
Her mother is now nonverbal, immobile, and requires 24-hour care.
“That changed everything,” Cannon said. “I started asking not just what happened, but what leads someone to do something like that. What happened to them?”
That question sits at the center of ACT Now’s mission: creating courageous, safe spaces that support healing and well-being for individuals and families.
Four pillars shaped by trauma and recovery
ACT Now operates around four program pillars, modeled after the wings of a butterfly, a symbol Cannon uses to represent transformation.
The first is the Community Connect initiative, which focuses on building continuity and relationships across Kinston. Programs include parent support groups, a Community Impact Council, and a planned community butterfly garden.
The garden is slated for a vacant lot at the corner of East and Grainger streets. Cannon envisions a fenced space featuring a butterfly-shaped planting bed, educational signage on metamorphosis, and a community-painted mural created through a color-by-number project.
“It’s about outreach, education, and beautification,” she said. “And about giving people a place to gather.”
The second pillar, Live and Thrive Initiative, centers on awareness around violence, trauma, and their long-term impacts. Cannon points to adverse childhood experiences, commonly known as ACEs, as a root contributor to cycles of violence and neglect.
“If we want to change outcomes, we have to address what people carry with them,” she said.
The third pillar, Transformation Initiative, focuses on individual support. ACT Now plans to offer intake services, needs and strengths assessments, and case management. Cannon’s husband, who works as a coach, will be involved in walking alongside participants as they work toward stability.
“Sometimes people just need guidance,” Cannon said. “We’re not here to direct lives. We’re here to support.”
The fourth pillar, Visions of Home Initiative, returns to Cannon’s original passion for housing. The organization recently received a donated mobile home and plans to reimagine what affordable housing communities can look like.
Plans include incorporating small family resource centers, green space, play areas, energy-efficient microgrids, and on-site supports. A longer-term goal is the creation of the “Nell’s Nest Village,” a transitional and supportive housing model designed for individuals who need structured assistance before moving toward independent living and, eventually, homeownership.
Cannon describes the concept as “launching later in life.”
Parenting, grief, and advocacy
Cannon said her oldest daughter continues to struggle with the layered losses brought on by the attack, which occurred during her senior year of high school and coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“She lost her Nana as she knew her,” Cannon said. “And for a time, she lost access to me.”
Cannon speaks openly about trauma, grief, and the neurological changes that can follow violent injury. She says those experiences inform her advocacy and her desire to reduce stigma around mental health.
“Trauma changes people,” she said. “And families live with that every day.”
Despite the challenges, Cannon points to moments of hope. Through music therapy, her mother has been observed singing along to familiar songs and hymns, something the family did not realize was possible.
“We’re grateful for every response,” Cannon said. “Anything can happen.”
Funding and the year ahead
ACT Now is funded through donations and sponsorships. Cannon is currently working on her first federal grant application and says building sustainable funding is a top priority for 2026. She also hopes to add a professional fundraiser or Director of Development to the organization’s team.
“I’ve been a roadblock at times,” she said, citing overthinking and trust issues. “But I’m working through that.”
In addition to grant writing, ACT Now hosts regular programming, including a Parent Connect support group that meets virtually on the third Thursday of each month. Beginning this year, the organization is also launching in-person Parent Connect Listening Circles on the third Saturday of each month.
A Community Impact Council meets via Zoom on the fourth Monday of each month and brings together organizations and parents to focus on youth mental well-being.
Cannon is actively seeking volunteers to serve on action teams aligned with each of the nonprofit’s pillars, particularly for behind-the-scenes planning and coordination.
Changing the narrative
Asked what she wants the community to know, Cannon did not hesitate.
“We’re here to change the narrative of Kinston,” she said. “We want people to think about the abundance of community champions, not just the crimes of the past.”
ACT Now’s website is www.actnowcdc.org. The organization shares resources gathered through outreach events and connects individuals to housing, family, and support services as needs arise.
Cannon says her theme for the year reflects both her personal journey and her organization’s mission.
“Together, we can transform tragedy and trauma into triumph,” she said.
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