When he's not serving his congregation at Moorpark Evangelical Free Church, Pastor John Erwin spends much of his time speaking in schools to help young people negotiate troubled times and prevent possible tragedies.

Suicide is the secondleading cause of death in U.S. for people between the ages of 18 and 24.

"Depression is involved with suicide 90 percent of the time," said Erwin. Many of the incidents are masked as accidents, he added.

Before moving to Moorpark this spring to lead EV Free Church, Erwin was the pastor of congregational life and families at a large church in Yorba Linda.

The former youth and family pastor's first encounter with suicide occurred in 1985, when he counseled the family of a high school student who took his own life.

Erwin decided then to learn about the subject so he could help prevent future deaths.

In 2005, together with Annette Craig, the mother of a 14-year-old who committed suicide in Placentia, Calif, Erwin formed With Hope Foundation. The goal of the foundation is to improve mental health support services and educate students and the community about the precursors of suicide.

Amber Craig, an avid soccer player, good student and loving friend, was an outgoing young lady who masked her pain by diving into activities. No one knew how much she was hurting inside.

"Her parents had no idea that she was struggling to the degree that she would commit suicide," said Erwin.

"When they're freshmen, about 25 percent of kids know someone who has attempted suicide, but by the time they're seniors, about 75 percent know someone who has attempted suicide," he said.

Every year about 6,000 suicides nationwide are committed by people under the age of 24, Erwin said. And for every one of those there are between 100 and 200 suicide attempts.

"It's not easy to notice the clues that can lead a person to take their own lives," the pastor said. Factors that can push a person to the edge include a sense of hopelessness and helplessness as well as stress and unreasonable pressure to succeed, he said. The most important indicator or cause is depression.

Since With Hope Foundation was started, representatives from the organization have spoken to about 25,000 students. Erwin said he's made about 200 school presentations so far and looks forward to sharing the message with Moorpark students.

"Kids are (like) a pressure cooker," said Erwin, and some of them may take dramatic action to solve temporary problems. "The kids don't really want to die, but they just want a way out of their problem," he said. "Many teenagers feel very down when they break up with a boyfriend or girlfriend."

The Moorpark Police Department has received 42 calls so far this year from people who were contemplating suicide or from their families and friends, said Capt. Ron Nelson. That number equals the total received for all of last year.

Three suicides have taken place in Moorpark so far this year. Two involved males and one a female—their ages ranged from 23 to 60. Last year, two males, ages 23 and 27, took their lives, Nelson said.

A number of Moorpark police deputies are specially trained in crisis intervention. They are able to evaluate a person to determine if he or she needs help and if so, authorities will facilitate the assistance, Nelson said.

Anyone who feels suicidal or knows someone who may take his or her own life should immediately call 911 for help, he said.

About EV Church

Erwin's congregation meets at the Arroyo Vista Recreation Community Center every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. About 100 people attend each week. EV Free leaders seek to attract people who want to give church another chance but haven't yet found the right church, Erwin said.

Visit www.moorparkevfree .com for more information about the church. For information about With Hope Foundation, visit www.withhopefoundation.org. To contact Erwin, e-mail john@moorparkevfree.com.