Boulder Crest Foundation Honors National First Responders Day with New Film: ‘Burdens Shared: The Weight of the Shield’
Donnie Penix recounts the night an officer under his command was shot in the line of duty, a defining moment in his law enforcement career.
Inside his home, Steven Parker transformed a closet into a makeshift safe room. The human silhouette target taped to the door reflects the lingering sense of threat that can remain long after the uniform comes off.
Steven Parker found himself the target of a gang retaliation plot — a hired hitman sent to take his life and threaten his family.
Donnie Penix credits Boulder Crest’s Struggle Well program and Posttraumatic Growth training with helping him process trauma, reframe adversity, and regain a sense of balance in his life.
Boulder Crest Foundation is a pioneering nonprofit organization focused on the development of Posttraumatic Growth-based training solutions to times of struggle, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and suicidality.
A new film from Boulder Crest Foundation shines a light on the unseen struggles of first responders — and the path to healing through Posttraumatic Growth
Today isn’t just about appreciation — it’s about action. By sharing these stories, we hope to remind every first responder that they’re not alone — and that growth and healing are always possible.”
BLUEMONT, VA, UNITED STATES, October 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Each year on October 28, our nation celebrates National First Responders Day to honor the courage and sacrifice of our first responders — firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, and others — who risk their lives daily to keep our communities safe.— Josh Goldberg, CEO of Boulder Crest Foundation
To mark this important day, Boulder Crest Foundation has released a short film, Burdens Shared: The Weight of the Shield, highlighting the strength and humanity of the first responder community. Behind the uniform lies a difficult truth: more first responders die by suicide than in the line of duty. The relentless exposure to trauma, grief, and high-stakes pressure takes a toll that too often goes unseen.
Burdens Shared: The Weight of the Shield follows two law enforcement officers, Donnie Penix and Steven Parker, whose stories reflect the intense struggles, sacrifices, and emotional weight that so many first responders understand.
Steven’s career took a terrifying turn when a violent gang he helped dismantle placed a hit on him and his family, forcing them into FBI protection. The trauma left scars that no badge could shield. Donnie’s story centers on a near-fatal shooting involving one of his officers, an event that haunted him for years and drove him to the brink of suicide.
Through Boulder Crest’s Struggle Well program, both men found a path forward. “I was fixing myself through the help of others, but I was still broken,” Steven recalls. “Boulder Crest dramatically changed my life.” Donnie adds, “I can either choose to be a victim or a warrior. I chose to be a victim for a long time. Now I choose to be a warrior.”
“First Responders Day isn’t just about appreciation — it’s about action,” said Josh Goldberg, CEO of Boulder Crest Foundation. “By sharing these stories, we hope to remind every first responder that they’re not alone — and that growth and healing are always possible.”
Boulder Crest Foundation, a nationally recognized nonprofit, trains first responders, veterans, and service members to thrive in the aftermath of trauma using Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) — the evidence-based science that demonstrates struggle can be a powerful catalyst for profound growth and meaningful change.
Through its PTG-based Struggle Well program, Boulder Crest provides proactive training that helps first responders reframe adversity, metabolize stress, and grow through hardship.
Watch Burdens Shared: The Weight of the Shield and learn more at BoulderCrest.org.
About Boulder Crest Foundation
Boulder Crest Foundation is the home of Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) and the global leader in developing, delivering, studying, and scaling PTG-based programs. A nationally recognized nonprofit, Boulder Crest serves veterans, first responders, active-duty military, and their families through transformative programs like Warrior PATHH, Struggle Well, and PTG Certification.
Call to Action
On this National First Responders Day, let’s do more than say thank you. Let’s share the burden — and the hope. Watch Burdens Shared: The Weight of the Shield, support first responders in your community, and help spread the message that healing and growth are always possible. Visit BoulderCrest.org to see the short film and learn more.
Jen Grady
Boulder Crest Foundation
jen.grady@bouldercrest.org
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Burdens Shared: The Weight of the Shield follows 2 police officers whose stories reflect the struggles and sacrifices that many first responders understand.
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