St. Mark’s VFW Post #1758 will host a fundraiser on Sat., Aug. 6 aimed at raising awareness of the number of suicides among veterans. The post is partnering with 22KILL, an organization established in 2013 to build a community of support between veterans and civilians on mental health issues and to provide resources for those struggling.

Roger Rakauskas, a Marine Corps veteran who serves as commander of St. Mark’s Post at 69 Bailey St., said the post is a critical resource for vets like him.

“It helped me get back to the reality of not being on my toes all day,” said Rakauskas. “They helped me transition back to civilian life. A lot of my friends had a really hard time and ended up taking their lives because they were struggling and didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. At the post, it’s really easy to get to know people and really easy to feel like you fit in.”

The free event will be held at the post starting at 5 p.m. Local businesses are being asked to help out with a gift card, raffle item, or general donation. All donations are tax deductible, their tax ID number is 046126650. If you wish to mail in a donation, please mail it to Veterans of Foreign Wars, St. Mark’s Post #1758, 69 Bailey St., Dorchester, MA 02124. For further information visit 22kill.com.