Leo Torres
Gadsden County News Service
On Aug.5, CJ’s Kitchen and Catering fostered unity in the Quincy community with “National Night Out”, hosted by owner Curtis James, Commissioner Devonta Knight, and the Quincy Police Department.
The event was described as a “A Night of Unity In Our Community,” and the goal was to promote strong relationships in Quincy. Over 20 citizens attended to support the city’s efforts. In his introductory speech, Bishop Sylvester Robinson pleaded with citizens to develop a better rapport with one another.
“This is a night of unity, partnership, comradery, and we’re also here to make sure we have positive engagement with the community,” Robinson said. “We have to do this together because it’s always better when we do this together.”
Robinson highlighted the issue of homelessness in his speech.
As of 2025, the state of Florida has nearly 28,948 individuals experiencing homelessness, according to Florida’s Council on Homelessness. Though homelessness has seen a 9.13% reduction since last year, it’s still an important concern for the state as well as Gadsden County, which has been no stranger to this problem. Robinson suggested advocating for services such as transitional homes to combat the issue.
“We don’t bypass those people,” Robinson said. “We don’t throw them away. We don’t look down on them.”
In his speech to attendees, Apostle A.J. Fisher referred to Galatians 1:6, which states, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
Fisher not only suggested that the community build a better relationship with local police, but also that they build a better one with each other.
“A lot of times, we can’t restore one another because we’re always trying to destroy one another,” Fisher said.
He emphatically listed out individuals whose lives were taken, those who were kidnapped, and those whose cases have yet to be resolved in Gadsden County. The list took almost two minutes to get through.
“These are some of our family members, these are some of our loved ones,” Fisher said. “The only way to put a stop to that- it can’t be through words anymore, our words ain’t doing nothing. We gotta stand up and we gotta move forward with action.”
Fisher said citizens need to surround themselves with people that want to see the city move forward.
“We’re already down,” Fisher said. “Everybody else is already looking at us and seeing us at the bottom of the barrel, so that means there’s nowhere else to go but up.”
CJ’s Kitchen and Catering is located on South Adams Street, locally known as “The Block.” The area has recently come under scrutiny after numerous noise complaints from concerned citizens. James took the opportunity to address the speculation regarding his business.
James stated that he has too much at stake and that his heart is driven by cooking for people, as well as taking care of his family. James said that his plan for his business was to bring something fun for the whole community and not just the young crowd. James explained that he is open to hosting church programs as well as other general community events.
“Hurting the community is not something that I plan to do,” James said. “I want to try to bring different events and different avenues of fun to Quincy.”
Police Chief Carlos Hill also spoke briefly, saying he wants to make Quincy a fun and safe place.
“I’m all for making sure we’re living in a city that’s protected, that we’re living in a city that’s thriving,” Hill said.
