The Friends of the Poor 5K Run/Walk returns to Cocoa Beach on Saturday, September 26, bringing neighbors together to support families facing hardship in the beachside community.

Now in its third year, the local event benefits the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Our Saviour Conference, which has served Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral for 40 years. The volunteer group operates an outreach center and food pantry at 130 Cleveland Avenue in Cocoa Beach. Organizers say all proceeds from the walk will stay local to support families in the area.

The need is close to home. According to figures provided for the event, the Our Saviour Conference received 6,245 visits and phone calls requesting assistance in 2025 and provided 10,183 individual services. Those figures offer a glimpse of how often local residents turn to the organization for help.

The Society’s work began far from Brevard County. In 1833, Frédéric Ozanam and six companions founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris. They named it for St. Vincent de Paul, whose life of service to people in poverty inspired them. The Society reached the United States in 1845, when its first American conference met in St. Louis. Its mission continues through local groups whose members help people in their own communities.

Saturday’s walk is one way Brevard residents can take part in that mission. The 5K begins at 8 a.m. at the Church of Our Saviour, 5301 N. Atlantic Avenue. Participants can run or walk, and a virtual option is available for those who cannot attend in person. The event also includes a raffle featuring baskets donated by local businesses.

For the Our Saviour Conference, the day is about more than finishing a race. It is a chance to bring attention to neighbors who need help and to keep that support rooted in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral.

Event details and registration: Friends of the Poor 5K Run/Walk