NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — A Nashville church is praying for some changes in the community. Bass Street Missionary Baptist Church has become a target for illegal dumping, and church leaders are asking for help.
For five years, Pastor Daryl Thompson says people have been throwing out their trash behind the church.
“There are some chairs back there now, look like an old flat screen TV they disposed of, tires, buckets,” Thompson said.
A church is a place where people can lay their burdens down, but at the Bass Street Missionary Baptist Church people are laying down their trash instead.
“We're kind of upset that they have chosen to disrespect the house of God and the grounds of God,” said Thompson.
It's an area where littering has been an ongoing problem and for years. The church has become the community dump site.
“To have them come out and drive around and see this eyesore, it's bad, it's really bad,” Thompson said.
Pastor Thompson says underneath the streets of trash is a hopeless, forgotten community. He says many neighbors are low income renters and trash service is an expense they simply can't afford. He believes that's the biggest reason behind the fly dumping.
Metro Nashville Public Works says this area is a general services district, so it does not receive waste collection services from Metro. Neighbors would need to contract with private haulers to have their trash picked up.
“I don't know if to be upset or understanding,” Thompson said.
Often, the church parishioners are left clean up the trash. Pastor Thompson says they'll need some extra help picking it up in time for Easter service.
In the meantime, they'll pray for permanent a solution that can help the entire community.
