ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Hundreds of commercial tires were dumped on the grounds of Historic Pleasant Hill Victory African Methodist Episcopal Church on Wednesday, damaging headstones in a cemetery that dates back nearly 100 years.

The church, which also includes Couch Hall — a former one-room schoolhouse for Black children during segregation — has faced repeated illegal dumping, with wooded areas nearby contributing to the problem.

Pastor responds

“I was like how can you do this in a sacred place? How could you do this in a place where people’s family members, their mothers, their fathers, sometimes even their children who died young or as infants, are buried here?” said Pastor Lola Russell.

Russell said the dumping prompted a call to action. “My first reaction was OK we’ve tried but we need to secure and protect this property,” she said.

GoFundMe raises over $3,000

The congregation posted a GoFundMe page to raise awareness and funds. As of Sunday, the campaign had raised more than $3,000.

“There are some amazingly good and loving people in the world, who still want the church to survive,” Russell said.

Russell said the response has been a blessing, though work remains. “We still have work to do. We still have work to do but we’ve been helped,” she said.

GoFundMe: Fundraiser by Pleasant Hill Victory AME Church

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