New Haven’s Super Ewan battles hunger in a Detroit park

There’s a little boy running around with a big heart and a red cape.

His mission: feeding the hungry and clothing the homeless.

Ewan Drum, 8, of New Haven is the founder of Super Ewan, a nonprofit to help homeless people.

“We give goods and clothes to homeless people,” Ewan said. “I thought it would be helpful. People smile when they see my cape show up.”

In July, Ewan told his parents when he became a teenager he wanted to dress up like a superhero and give homeless people food and clothes.

“My husband and I looked at each other and said, ‘Well, why wait until then?’ ” said Angela Drum, Ewan’s mother.

On the fourth Saturday of the month, Ewan dons his cape and flies down to Roosevelt Park in Detroit where his family passes out bagged lunches and clothes.

The lunches are packed with fresh fruit and vegetables, in addition to peanut butter and jelly, chips, water and granola bars.

In January, he will begin making appearances in Mt. Clemens, too.

Ewan, with his mop of curly ginger hair and sheepish smile, said passing out lunches and making new friends makes him feel happy.

“One guy had his car stolen with his wallet and everything so he didn’t have anything,” Ewan said. “After I pass out lunches, it makes me feel good.”

Between 50 and 100 people show up at the park each weekend.

“We are hoping to start our adventures closer to home and would like to find a place in Port Huron to hand out food and clothes as well,” Drum said. “But Ewan originally said he wanted to go to Detroit and help the homeless, so we said, ‘OK, it’s your thing, so you get to choose where.’ ”

The Drum family has a large pile of coats and clothes in the garage waiting to be handed out, and a whole storage unit filled with supplies.

“Ewan collects donations from the community and family,” Drum said. “We will come pick up any donations people are willing to give.”

Nicole Hayden is a staff writer with the Port Huron Times Herald. Contact her: 810-989-6279 or nhayden@gannett.com.

HOW TO HELP SUPER EWAN

■To donate food, clothes or toiletry items or to suggest where Super Ewan should show up next, go to www.facebook.com/SuperEwan7 to send a message