Vancouver Superhero Helps The Homeless

When you mention the word death, most people don't think of kindness and generosity but one Vancouver man is changing that perception. He calls himself Thanatos, named after the Greek god of death, and he's doing a lot of good for the homeless in his area. Thanatos, who prefers to keep his real identity secret, stated that one day while working downtown, he really began noticing all of the homeless in the area. People were living and dying in the street and the sight of that struck him.

"I was told by a police officer that some people on the street had nothing better to look forward to than death. That really stung, that really hurt me,” he told a local newspaper. "So I said if that’s the case, then death better get out there and start taking care of these people. I developed this persona to go out there and help."
With that, Thanatos set out to change as many lives as he could. He roams around doing good deeds for those who need them most including handing out water bottles and slips of paper with the word "friend" on them. Anything to bolster the morale of those who most people had forgotten. His efforts have paid off in large ways for at least one young woman who went from a $400 a day herion addiction to a full time job working downtown at a social services office.

When asked how she turned her life around, her answer is "Death came and told me I had to change the way I was living. Death saved me."

Thanatos is part of the Real Life Superhero Project, a group of like minded individuals who dress as heroes and perform acts of kindness. It may seem over-dramatic to some or childish behavior to others but Thanatos sees dressing up as a means to an end. By wearing the colorful costume, he can bring attention and light to the very real and somber issue of homelessness in Vancouver's downtown East Side neighborhood.