St. Pete Run Fest, the City of St. Petersburg’s official running event, is gearing up for its 8th year – this weekend, Nov. 15-17.

Recognizing the need to address homelessness in the community, the St Petersburg Downtown Partnership convened a “leadership lunch” Wednesday at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital to explore innovative solutions for supporting St. Petersburg’s unhoused population.

The initiative, which began as a small-scale produce market during Nutrition Month, evolved into a weekly food pantry when hospital staff realized food insecurity was an ongoing issue.