Quincy, 20 miles west of Tallahassee, is the county seat of Gadsden County. Quincy is a rural community which is heavily dependent upon agriculture for its employment base.

Advertisement

Quincy benefitted from the rise of the fledgling Coca-Cola company to the worldwide conglomerate it is today through the support of a local banker. A few Quincy families have become very wealthy through this investment. The rest of the community depended almost exclusively on the income derived from one labor intensive crop for its survival, shade tobacco. The large unskilled labor force required to grow and process the tobacco existed on extremely low incomes.

Twenty-five years ago, the shade tobacco industry relocated outside the United States and Quincy was left with a large segment of its population out of work, unskilled, and under educated. Quincy desperately needed new employment opportunities through manufacturing, agriculture and trade. The proximity to Tallahassee provided a segment of Quincians employment in the governmental and private sector. With citizens no longer working in the area, there became a lack of community responsibility for the future of Quincy. The desegregation of the local school system further divided the community along racial lines. In addition, young people saw no future in the area and the older generation questioned why they stayed. Downtown Quincy degenerated to a place you drove through on your way to somewhere else. The community was in danger of losing all identity as its citizens drew themselves into unhappy fragments of groups looking for someone to blame for Quincy's decline.

These challenges sparked citizens to create the Quincy Music Theater, Main Street Quincy, Men of Action, Gadsden Neighbors in Partnership, Gadsden Citizens for Healthy Babies, Gadsden Arts, and the Literacy Volunteers of Gadsden County. Together, these citizens worked side by side to form these organizations in order to build a cohesive and dedicated community.

Through strategic planning, issues such as downtown revitalization, high infant mortality statistics, and literacy are proactively tackled by volunteers who represent every segment of the public and private sector. Through these sessions, the community set strategies for recruiting both large corporations and small business, improving the school system and enhancing the quality of life in the community. These volunteers and community leaders continue to improve the economic and social climate in a cohesive manner. Together, these citizens are taking responsibility for the future of their community.

The key to the success of Quincy's government is communication and relationship with this citizens. The City is committed to offer more than just "basic services" to its citizens by providing social and cultural activities. All levels of service are provided equally throughout the City.

The City of Quincy has made a strong commitment to its younger citizens by funding a full range of recreational activities. The Recreation budget for 1994-1995 is $386,351 and the department provides baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, football, track, gymnastics, aerobics, swimming, arts and crafts, and various other recreational activities. The programs are offered to the City's youth for a nominal fee of $6.00, which includes shirts and caps, to include a wide participation of youth involvement.

Adults participate as coaches and instructors for a majority of the sports. Several children who were introduced to sports through the City Recreation Department have excelled in high school and college sports and have been selected for professional teams. Currently 19 young men who began their athletic careers within the City's program are playing college baseball on scholarships. In addition to the athletic component of the Department, each summer the City offers a 40 hour a week Summer Day Care program to area children. Participants are from age 6 to 13 years old and attend daily for a nominal fee of $35.00 which includes daily lunches. For many of the City's young citizens, this is their only opportunity to attend a summer camp.

The multitude of civic organizations throughout Quincy deal with issues involving health care, elderly care, children, crime, housing and economic development. Through joint membership, efforts are focused with minimal duplication. Quincy embodies a tight knit community, where community members participate together in many religious and civic projects. An example is Quincyfest, a one day festival, sponsored by Main Street, Quincy. Most service organizations are involved in the festival by providing an activity as a fundraiser for their group or by organizing and presenting an activity to the public for their participation and enjoyment. Community service booths are included as educational opportunities to those in attendance. The focus for Quincyfest has been family activities which are affordable for the community's citizens. Many of the activities have no charge or a minimal fee. Over 150 citizens volunteer during the day to contribute to the success of the festival.

The Healthy Children's Day is an annual event which brings heath care service to families. The Kiwanis , Pilot, and Gadsden Citizens for Healthy Babies work together on this function. Health care providers offer free health care screenings, immunizations, nutrition information, prenatal advice, and other health care services to the families in attendance.