Getting Started as a Volunteer & Renewing

Thank you for taking a huge leap in deciding to volunteer with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS). We are so pleased to have you on the team! On behalf of our families, thank you for your heart and compassion and for contributing your time and talent as a volunteer. Your impact in your community and beyond will be greatly appreciated.

Step 1

Log In

Click “Forgot Your Password” for the first login.

Once logged in, browse to training to complete the Volunteer Services Agreement (VSA).

  • Once you complete the VSA course, you should get an email confirming your commitment. However, you are not yet active!
Complete VSA

Need help with logging in? Contact our Volunteer Leadership at support@nilmdts.org as we are happy to help! You can also review the optional Getting Started course once logged in for answers to common questions.

Step 2

Complete Required Courses

  • Complete the required lessons within the Introduction to NILMDTS course. Any incomplete  lessons will not have a green checkmark next to the lesson.
  • Complete role-specific course(s) – your primary role (for most volunteers, this will be Affiliated Photographer or Digital Retouch Artist).
    • Some items are repeated in more than one course – if you have already completed a lesson and retained the information, click “complete and continue” button below the lesson content, we never want volunteer time to be spent on something they already know.
  • Once your role-specific course is 100% completed, you will receive an email confirming the completion of your training and notifying you that your status will become active. Note: Status changes are automated approximately every 8 hours.

Renewing?

  • Make sure your required courses are showing 100% complete!
  • Any new lessons within a course will not have a green checkmark designating it needs to be reviewed and marked complete before you will be fully active again.
  • Review the optional Renewal Assistance course for common questions.

Step 3

Confirm that your information is accurate in your Volunteer Account.

Instructions for logging into your Volunteer Account are found within the Introduction to NILMDTS course, Volunteer Database lesson.

When you’ve completed all the required courses, it may take up to 8 hours for your account status and renewal date to update/activate in the system.

Status not updating? Reach out to Volunteer Leadership for support!

When the hospital approached us about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep I was unsure if I wanted images due to the great emotional pain I was in. The private portrait session was done with the utmost care, patience, sensitivity, and love. No one ever felt as though someone was there to just take ‘pictures’, but that you were there with us during the last moments while we held our daughter in our arms. The hospital staff and yourself has made this experience so much easier. We now know that in a blink of an eye the world you have built can come crashing down. Until now we have been like most couples, working way more than we should and focusing on things that we know now are not that important. We are closer as a family and have taken time to re-evaluate our lives. We now cherish every day.  I strongly urge parents to take advantage of the service you provide. Working with you has helped to ease some of our pain and realize that we now have hope for the future.

Eva and Danny, NILMDTS Family

Two women came to our hospital to take pictures of our daughter. You did a wonderful thing for us!! For some reason this morning I have been watching the slideshow repeatedly and am so impressed at how respectfully and beautifully your photographers did their job. I just cannot express how fortunate I feel to be able to look back on pictures of my daughter and not feel like the past is completely lost. Your company does an amazing thing. I have much respect for you and your volunteers. Thank you.

Anonymous, NILMDTS Family

We almost heard about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep too late. When our daughter passed unexpectedly, we had no knowledge of this service in the hospital. It was only at the funeral home that we were able to capture the images that we will forever cherish. Had we known about the service earlier, we would have been able to capture her at her true essence by having portraits made at the hospital. We want parents to know how important this service is as soon as possible.

Stephanie, NILMDTS Mom

You have given to my son and his wife memories of a son that left this earth too soon. Audrey did a wonderful job capturing the love and peace surrounding Jacob. She was compassionate and very respectful of Jacob’s parents. While I would liked to have met her under different circumstances, I feel very fortunate that she came into our lives at such an important time. You should be very proud to have Audrey on your list of photographers. Thank you for creating Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.  Jacob’s images will be with us always because of it.

Jan McEwan, Jacob’s Grandmother

On Saturday March 17, 2012 around 10:45 am, we said hello and good-bye to our beloved son. It is shocking to know that he is physically no longer with us. Yet we are glad that your organization exists and was able to provide us a lifetime of memories through the baby pictures taken of him. We are so grateful and thank God that we have these pictures to forever treasure our baby angel. May God continue to bless you as you bless and help families through their difficult time.

Anonymous, NILMDTS Family
My family and I haven’t personally thanked you for your services that you did for us. We met on September 10. It was your birthday, your nieces, and my son’s that day. You were so amazing, gentle, and so loving. With you we were able to capture moments, memories of our son that we can cherish forever. They are SO beautiful and I absolutely LOVE them. My husband and I, my family are in debt to you, we can not thank you enough. What you did for us, what you continue to do for others is more than amazing. Angels from above running around with cameras to bless all these families who are hurting. You help ease the pain by giving something back. It may seem small to some, but for us, and I’m going to take a leap and speak for other families; IT IS NOT SMALL. What you are able to give back is hope, faith, pieces of our son that we can have here on Earth. You touched our hearts in so many ways we will never forget. We feel so blessed to have had you be a part of our life, even with the unfortunate circumstance.
Anonymous, NILMDTS Family

I have never been one to have the right words to say when someone has gone through a loss. When I think of the loss that these families deal with, I realize there may be no words I can say to take that pain away; I can, however, pray that I will alleviate some of that pain and bring a little bit of joy by sharing my photography.

I am immensely honored to be invited into the lives of these families in their most difficult time and proud to be able to give them this precious gift. In return, volunteering with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep has touched my heart and changed my life in more ways than I can truly express.

Crystal Rodriguez, NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer

I volunteer for NILMDTS because I believe in giving others of our talents and gifts.  I know how precious the photographs of my own children are and how many times I’ve wanted to freeze time, just remembering every little moment, maybe even seconds.

I’ve never lost a child, so I can only imagine the magnitude of having only moments to form a lifetime of memories.  That’s what I strive to give all of our NILMDTS clients.  Knowing that I can provide them with joy during such a heartbreaking time is fulfilling to me and gives so much purpose to my photography that reaches beyond NILMDTS, infusing the importance of my art into all the photos I take, for all my clients.

Melissa Bloom, NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer

I’ve been a NILMDTS photographer for a little over a year but it was one of those things I meant to do for a long time. Many years ago (before the organization existed) my nephew was born very prematurely and he passed away after just a few hours. The nurses at the hospital took some Polaroid pictures of them and their son and the treasured these few images.

Fast-forward to my career as a photographer; when I first heard of NILMDTS I thought like so many “I could never do that.” After awhile though my thinking evolved from “well, maybe I could” to “yes, I think I can and I will.” Even then it probably took me another year to actually go sign up. Part of what lead me to it was thinking about my little nephew and how much those hospital pictures meant to his parents and part it was a desire to use my skill for something good in the world. It is difficult at times but I’m so glad to be a volunteer.

Anne Companion, NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer

I volunteer for NILMDTS as a way to give back, to show gratitude for my many blessings in my own life.  I have seen how much my own daughter loves and treasures the pictures she has of her twin angel babies.

At this stage in my career, being mostly retired, I have the time to give service to others, and I feel richly compensated when I am able to do something for them at a time when they really need to know that someone cares about them.  It is rewarding to me to occasionally follow them on social media, and over the years watch as they continue on with life and have additional children and seem to find happiness in their lives.

John Lloyd, NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer

I have four beautiful daughters now, but before I had them, I had two miscarriages.  It was years ago, but I remember the profound sadness and darkness of those years.  I remember leaving the hospital and wishing that I had something (a lock of hair or a picture or a footprint… something concrete) left of those babies.

I know that the only thing harder than having children is not having them.

Even though the memories are sad, it is important for me to remember my experience.  The love I felt was stronger than the sadness.  There was still hope.  Love wins.

I first heard of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep when my friend’s daughter was stillborn.  She shared the pictures of her sweet daughter with me.  I could see how much those pictures meant to her.

When I started photographing for NILMDTS, I was nervous.  I wasn’t sure how I would handle the sadness.  There is sadness and tragedy, but the bottom line is always LOVE.  These little angels are loved.  Their families want to remember, and the pictures we take can help fill an empty place in a sad heart.  What a privilege it is to be part of that!

I am a NILMDTS volunteer photographer because of LOVE!  I know how much I love my babies, and I honor them each time I help another family.  Love wins when we lift others up.  Love wins when we remember.

Karyn Nicoll, NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer

I believe every life should be celebrated.  I started my personal photography business 7 years ago to capture the special moments in life, mainly maternity/newborns, and in the past year I realized that these moments of infant loss are just as important, if not more important to document.  Being a NILMDTS volunteer hasn’t always been easy but it has been more rewarding than I could have ever imagined.  It is a gift to be able to use my photography skills in this way, to serve these grieving families, and to experience giving back to my community.  My mom lost a child 36 years ago shortly after birth and still looks at the photos they gave her…I know these families will treasure these photographs for years to come and it is my privilege to be able to serve in this way.

Kelsey Egelhoff, NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer

I can attest to the healing power of NILMDTS portraiture. I see my son every day because of an amazing volunteer photographer. Now, it is an honor to be able to capture the most important moments of undying love for other families.

Ali Furtwangler, NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer

To submit your testimonial, or if you are a NILMDTS Family and would like to submit your baby’s story and his/her image, please email us.