Before You Begin

What to Expect When You Share Your Loved One With Us

Sharing your loved one with us is an act of courage and love. We want you to feel completely confident before you take that step. This page will walk you through exactly what happens — so there are no surprises, only care.

Many families who come to us have never done anything like this before. Feeling uncertain is natural — and you are not alone. We invite you to spend a little time with the work we’ve already done before you decide to submit.

First, Get Acquainted

Before you fill out anything, we encourage you to:

  • Read some of the narratives

    Go to the Exhibits tab on our website and read a few of the stories. This is the kind of care your loved one's story will receive — written with dignity and heart.

  • Download and read the questionnaire on the Share Your Story page.

    This is what we will use to build the narrative. Reading it first will help you feel prepared and give you time to gather your thoughts, memories, and any photographs.

  • Still Unsure?

    Watch the video from a mother who felt exactly the same way — and hear what she says now about her experience with Into Light Project. Muriel’s video is on the Share Your Story page.

After you Submit — What Happens Next

Once you submit your questionnaire, here is exactly what you can expect:

  • Step1: Your submission is received and reviewed

    You will receive an email acknowledging that your submission was received and accepted. Your questionnaire is then read with care, and assigned to both a professional portrait artist and a professional writer.
    PORTRAIT: The artist reaches out about your photograph.
    The portrait artist will contact you to discuss which photograph you would like used for the portrait. You can share options and any preferences at this time. The portrait is completed and sent to you for approval.

    Once finished, the artist will send you the portrait to review. If anything needs adjustment, you can request it before it is finalized. Nothing moves forward without your approval.

    NARRATIVE: The writer crafts the narrative from your questionnaire responses.
    Your assigned writer reads your answers carefully and shapes them into a narrative — written in a voice that honors your loved one with dignity, compassion, and honesty.

  • Step 2: The completed narrative is sent to you for review.

    You will receive the full narrative to read. You are welcome to check for any factual errors or offer small edits before giving your approval. Nothing is finalized without your sign-off.

  • Step 3: Our goal is to complete both the portrait and the narrative within 30 days of receiving your submission.

    You are in control throughout. Nothing — not the portrait, not the narrative — is published or displayed without your final approval. This is your loved one's story, and it will only be told the way you want it told.

Questions? We are here

If you have any questions at any point in the process — before, during, or after submission — please don’t hesitate to reach out. Your contact person is: Terri Vano (tvano@intolightproject.org)

Terri is happy to answer any questions and to walk alongside you through this process.

Thank you for trusting us with your loved one. We take every measure of care to honor them — and you.
— The INTO LIGHT Project Team

Support The INTO LIGHT Project

"Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity."

- Pema Chödrön

Donations support the work of The INTO LIGHT Project to produce our exhibit, Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories. We bring awareness to substance use disorder (SUD) as a brain disease, help to change the conversation about drug addiction, and work to erase the stigma and shame associated with it.

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About INTO LIGHT Project

Into Light Inc. is a registered 501(C)(3) Organization. EIN# 84-2480644
Corporate Address: 115 Churchman Lane,
Rising Sun, MD 21911
Mailing Address: PO Box 891,
Black Mountain, NC 28711
©2026 INTO LIGHT Project, All Rights Reserved
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