Two Salem ‘superheroes’ help the homeless

This isn’t your typical good superhero-saving-the-day story. This is about two ordinary people who dress up and help the homeless.

A couple times a month, Jeff Bronson and Steve Naylor dress up in costume and walk around the parks and streets of Salem, Ore. armed with clothing and food.

From the WALB news article, Naylor, with his black cape and white collar goes by "The Rev."

Bronson's favorite color, green, shows up in a face mask and matching armor and completes his persona, "Hazmat."

These two don’t want to find crime; they just want to help out less fortunate people in their hometown. On Monday evening, the duo carried duffel bags filled with toothbrushes and bottles of water to give out.

They ran into a familiar face, a woman named Paula. She needs to eat five times a day because of her diabetes, so the ‘superheroes’ made sure she received a sandwich and something no one gives the homeless: social interaction.

Naylor, who used to be homeless, knows exactly how it feels for someone to come up to him and give him some time. He stated in the article, "I make eye contact and shake people's hands because when I was homeless, people wouldn't talk to me or look at me for days at a time."

When the two aren’t dressed in superhero clothing, they work regular jobs. Naylor works in construction and Bronson has a security job.

Even though they get the odd donation, most of the supplies they hand out are from things they purchase with their own money.