Local church leaders are taking action to address a growing mental health crisis in their community with the launch of the first-ever Hope Fest .

The Ministerial Alliance of Ingleside and Aransas Pass is hosting the free event Saturday, Sept. 13, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Aransas Pass Civic Center. The alliance, made up of seven to eight different churches, created the event in response to concerning suicide statistics in San Patricio County.

"Looking deeper we saw an issue in the suicide rate of our communities," said David Dear, senior pastor and member of the ministerial alliance.

According to Dear, the suicide rate in San Patricio County is 16 per 100,000 people — higher than the state average of 14 per 100,000. USA Facts shows the suicide rate in Texas has increased by 29.7% over t

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