Please Support Time of Butterflies

I am reaching out to you on behalf of Time of Butterflies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting and empowering Women of Color and the wider BIPOC community in the Boston, MA area.

Time of Butterflies serves hundreds of women per year. But today we find ourselves at a critical juncture as the demand for our services continues to grow while our resources are stretched thin. The need for our programs has never been more significant - particularly in the aftermath of the global pandemic which continues to reverberate through our communities and take a toll on the mental health and well-being of so many of our neighbors.

I am personally reaching out to ask for your help. The funding we seek would significantly enhance our capacity to deliver essential services and empower more women along their journey toward healing and personal growth.

We are targeting $5,000 for this campaign, all of which will subsidize the cost of impactful and potentially life-changing programs for those who desperately need them.

About Time of Butterflies

Established in 2019, Time of Butterflies was founded on the principle that mental health care is a fundamental right, not a luxury. Over the years, with our team of clinicians and educators, we have worked tirelessly to provide comprehensive and affordable therapeutic services, organize vital workshops, spread awareness, and foster resilience and self-sufficiency through education and supportive networks. Our primary focus is to address the glaring gap in accessible mental health support for Women of Color, particularly for survivors of abuse and trauma who have been historically under-served by the traditional mental health care system.

We’ve made great strides toward fulfilling our mission, achieving increased awareness and understanding of mental health issues within our community, and providing crucial resources and therapeutic services to many who need us. Still, there is much work to be done. We need your help.

Our vision is to counter the experience of trauma with a sensitive and competent multidisciplinary response and to support efforts to restore the quality of life for those affected by trauma. We aspire to change the world with our efforts to heal through community.

What we do

• We bring awareness on myriad topics related to mental health, healing, and wellness.

• We curate workshops that focus on education and resources.

• We provide support and knowledge to individuals and families in order for them to heal.

• We help individuals create a pathway for healing.

Time of Butterflies operates on a shoestring budget with mostly volunteer and unpaid staff and board members committed to this cause. And no one is ever turned away because of their ability to pay.

In the Time of Butterflies

Our story began when our founders and current board members, sisters Giselle Bonilla and Kat Bonilla, discovered firsthand the lack of support and resources available for survivors of abuse who are Women of Color in Boston. When they opened up to each other about their respective trauma and sought support within their community to heal, they found resources to be sorely lacking. So they created a community. And through the exchange of stories and support, a pathway for healing evolved – for themselves and other Women of Color. They discovered that the power to heal came from within community. And, thus, Time of Butterflies was created.

The name of the organization was inspired by the 1994 book by Julia Alvarez, “In the Time of Butterflies,” which was also adapted into a 2001 TV movie starring Salma Hayak. It tells the true story of the Mirabal sisters during the time of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, where our founders were born and still spend time, and the courage the sisters found to stand up to their oppressors.

Time of Butterflies was named by the Bonilla sisters in honor of the Mirabal sisters and what their story represents: healing through the power of community. A community that includes our allies and supporters, without which we wouldn’t be able to accomplish our mission.

We would love to include you in our community of supporters!

Thanks in advance for your generosity! Every dollar helps.

Learn more about us @ www.timeofbutterflies.org

And please help us spread the word by forwarding the link to this campaign to your network.

Time of Butterflies is a registered 501-c-3 organization. Donations are tax-deductible.

EIN: 83-3731858