Struggle to Strength
Boulder Crest offers combat vets a welcomed retreat from post-traumatic stress
Getting the word out about new combat-related products is one of the things Warrior does best.
But for Kyra Pooley, Warrior also offered the perfect chance to spread word about a different kind of offering – the non-profit Boulder Crest Foundation, a free, 5-star holistic wellness resort for struggling combat veterans, first responders and their families.
While the organization has an active marketing and social media presence, some 70% of its guests hear about Boulder Crest’s “Struggle to Strength” programs through old-fashioned word-of-mouth – friends telling friends about the place where veterans can reconnect with their families, with nature, and with themselves.
That made Warrior the ideal place for Pooley to reach out to the military, law enforcement and first responder communities, and spread the word about Boulder Crest even further.
“The best is when someone comes up to the table and says, ‘I have a buddy who would really benefit from this, I’m going to ask him to apply,’” said Pooley, a Community Outreach & Fundraising Coordinator at Boulder Crest. “And that’s the goal for us here – getting people to think it will have a positive impact on themselves or someone who they may know.”
Funded completely through private donors and grants, Boulder Crest offers two signature programs among several others – Family Rest & Reconnection, and Warrior PATHH.
The former invites families to stay for up to seven nights in one of two idyllic natural retreats, one in Bluemont, Virginia at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the other on a historic homestead near Tucson, Arizona. There, combat veterans and their families can relax and reconnect in a natural setting filled with 5-star amenities and endless recreational activities.
“Not to toot our own horns too much, but it’s super super nice,” Pooley says with a laugh.
Meanwhile, Boulder Crest’s Warrior PATHH program offers progressive post-traumatic growth training in nine separate locations around the country. The intensive 7-day program immerses struggling combat vets in everything from transcendental meditation and equine therapy to ancient warrior techniques such as archery and walking the labyrinth.
“It’s much different than most post-traumatic growth programs,” Pooley said, “but we’ve seen some really awesome success through Warrior PATHH and we’re super proud of it. It’s nothing like talk therapy, we don’t prescribe anything, it’s not medical, it’s completely holistic.”
It was truly wonderful to welcome Boulder Crest’s unique and important mission to Warrior, and we’re happy to keep the word-of-mouth rolling here.
To learn more about the Boulder Crest Foundation, or to help spread the word yourself, visit www.BoulderCrest.org