One of my goals as a photographer is donate my time, when I can, to help a charity or individual or group with knowledge, physical labor, and/or photographs. One that I have seriously been looking into is, Now I lay me down to sleep. The organization works with photographers who donate their time to do selfless work for families that have lost their newborn.
"For families overcome by grief and pain, the idea of photographing their baby may not immediately occur to them. Offering gentle and beautiful photography services in a compassionate and sensitive manner is the heart of this organization. The soft, gentle heirloom photographs of these beautiful babies are an important part of the healing process. They allow families to honor and cherish their babies, and share the spirits of their lives. The NILMDTS mission statement is to introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with the gift of professional portraiture. We believe these images serve as an important step in the family's healing process by honoring their child's legacy. The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation (NILMDTS) administers a network of more than 7,000 volunteer photographers in the United States and 25 countries. At a family's request, a NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer will come to your hospital or hospice location and conduct a sensitive and private portrait session. The portraits are then professionally retouched and presented to the families on an archival DVD or CD that can be used to print portraits of their cherished baby."
While I wasn't involved with anything quite like that, this past weekend I was able to photograph a unique charity event. A local Austin group named Brewing Hope is an organization that hosts social events in cities all over the country with a goal of raising money to help find a cure for MS.
"There are a reported 350,000 cases of MS in the US alone and that is only those you have been diagnosed. Many people go years without even recognizing symptoms for MS. Our goal is to help the National MS Society raise money to continue research for a cure and treatment as well as make more people aware of this disease and it’s symptoms. "
I had a great time assisting the staff, here are just a few pictures of the day.
To learn more about Brewing Hope, the work they are doing, and when they might be in your town next, visit them at: http://www.brewinghope.com/
To learn more about Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, the work they are doing, and when how you can participate and or assist the organization, visit them at:
http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/
Thanks for reading, hope your week is going great!
--T
