The Rev. Jack Smith, pastor of the Community Church of the Nazerene in Wahiawa, was pleased to see a particular group of people attending his Sunday service for the first time yesterday.

The group consisted of a family and six individuals who are part of the homeless population living on the banks of Lake Wilson under the bridge at the entrance to Wahiawa town. Smith has been working with the homeless since the beginning of the year and coordinated a cleanup on Tuesday with the help of the homeless campers, the Wahiawa Community Business Association members and the state Department of Transportation.

The homeless people brought up four truckloads of trash to the roadway, where it was hauled away by DOT vehicles. An unsightly wooden structure on the bank, which generated complaints, is being dismantled.

Twenty-two people live under the bridge, Smith said. Most are living in tents that are not visible from the roadway and the population includes no children or substance abusers, he said.

"If we can make them invisible, it may help us to buy some time to find them homes and jobs rather than sweep them out," Smith said.

"The word 'sweep' offends me personally. When we speak of sweeps we think of rubbish and rodents. These are people who have souls. Some of them are (homeless) by choice and some are down there due to circumstances they can't do anything about right now. We have four families who attend our service who used to live down there that now have housing and jobs."

Smith believes a message of hope — "showing them someone cares" — is more effective than sweeps.

"There are some who are mentally challenged down there that need help but mainly we're fighting an economic situation caused by the lack of affordable housing in Central O'ahu," Smith said. "We've made a scratch in bettering the situation (with the cleanup) but it's far from being resolved.

"It takes compassion," he added. "It's a challenge, but a winable situation."

Since the beginning of the year, Smith has been talking to the homeless under the bridge twice a week. Since his church does not have bathing facilities, the homeless have been going to Church of Christ in Wahiawa to shower twice a week.

"We've been working with them, feeding them on Sundays and having services with them to try and encourage them and help lead them out," Smith said.

The cleanup effort and addition to yesterday's congregation are encouraging signs, Smith said.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.