Faulk’s Latest Butterfly Release Tells a Story

By
Marci
Shatzman

Faulk
Center
for
Counseling
likens
their
annual
live
butterfly
release
to
the
journey
from
mental
health
to
wellness.

So,
the
free
or
low-cost
counseling
and
graduate
student
and
volunteer
training
center
observed
Mental
Health
Awareness
Month
in
May
and
what
would
have
been
the
100th
birthday
of
their
founder
Dr.
Elizabeth
Faulk
with
a
free
community
celebration,
complete
with
popcorn,
cupcakes
and
cotton
candy.
“That’s
why
we’re
doing
‘get
your
green
on,”
too,
as
part
of
the
campaign
to
create
support
and
talk
openly
about
mental
health
and
trauma,
noted
Dr.
Holly
Katz,
Faulk’s
clinical
and
training
director.

“I
believe
mental
health
should
be
a
right
for
everyone,
not
a
privilege,”
Faulk’s
longtime
board
executive
Lois
Weisman
said
at
the
presentation.
The
founder’s
birthday
coincides
with
Boca
Raton’s
100^th
anniversary,
noted
CEO
Jonathan
Price.
His
wife
Kelly
got
shoutouts
for
her
decorating
prowess,
and
both
their
young
daughters
wore
twin
butterfly
dresses.
The
youngest
wore
wings.

“This
is
one
of
my
favorite
events,”
said
Deputy
Mayor
Fran
Nachlas,
wearing
a
green
dress
to
present
Boca
Raton’s
formal
proclamation.
Then
special
guests
like
Palm
Beach
County
Commissioner
Marci
Woodward
and
other
supporters
stepped
outside
on
the
lawn
to
receive
their
Painted
Lady
butterfly
encased
in
a
small
green
envelope
and
released
them.
The
butterflies
fluttered
for
a
few
moments
on
the
grass
or
on
hands
like
Fran’s
and
Jonathan’s
before
showing
them
to
the
kids
and
flying
away.