KENNEWICK, Wash. – January marks National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. According to the U.S. Department of State, the month is dedicated to not only raise awareness about human trafficking but also to educate the public about how to identify and prevent this crime.
Throughout the month of December leading up to January as a way to spread awareness, a tattoo shop in Kennewick is aiming to help local human trafficking survivors cover up any sort of identification marks that might have been used to “label” them for free.
Co-owner and tattoo artist at Pink Flamingo Tattoo Shop, Nicole Woodrome, says she came up with the idea to help local survivors with her husband as a way to give back to the community during the holidays. As she started to post about it on social media, messages after messages started coming with all the people that wanted her help. Now, she says that she will dedicate 2 Sundays a month moving forward to help those that want these brands or marks covered up.
“I felt it was a really beautiful thing that I can offer people who have been in really negative situations and bring some positivity,” Woodrome said.
According to the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology, rashes and brandings such as tattoos are more likely in sex trafficking survivors whereas burns, injuries or deep cuts were more likely found in labor-trafficked survivors.
The Support, Advocacy and Resource Center in Richland said this year alone it has helped 100 new human trafficking clients in the area and provided 6,064 services to clients at intake and follow-up’s. A majority of the clients helped this year were between the ages of 30 to 59 years old, which is a big shift compared to the last two years where most of the clients SARC helped were between the ages of 12 and 18.
“Covering up my scars has been a very healing experience for me,” said an anonymous local human trafficking survivor. “There was a lot of shame and guilt attached to my scars and getting them covered has helped me process those emotions. It’s a relief that now instead of looking at my body and seeing pain and hurt, I can see a beautiful piece of art. It’s also a relief to not have to worry about other people noticing and asking about my scars.”
What the process will be like for these consultation:
If you are interested in this free service, Woodrome asked for clients to contact her directly through social media or to call Pink Flamingo Tattoo Shop at (509) 987-2370. Woodrome expects that as more people come forward wanting this service, there will most likely be a wait-list.
Pink Flamingo Tattoo Shop is located at 417 W 1st Ave, Kennewick, WA 99336.
