Fresh Starts: Creekside Tattoo Removal

Some marks on the body tell a story. For many of our neighbors, tattoos are reminders of a different time—a different life—often connected to pain, survival, or identities they've since outgrown. Today, through a powerful opportunity provided by Creekside Day Spa, a group of brave individuals are choosing to rewrite that story.

Seven of our neighbors, alongside two dedicated Salt + Light staff members, have embarked on a deeply personal and physical journey: tattoo removal. This process, generously offered free of charge by Creekside Day Spa, is more than skin-deep. It's part of the healing. It's about stepping into the present and future with confidence—free from the labels and symbols that no longer define who they are.

This isn’t a one-and-done procedure. It’s a commitment. Each person is walking through up to 12 sessions, with the second recently completed. It’s painful, slow, and emotional. But they’re not doing it alone. Our staff members aren't just coordinating the logistics—they’re sitting beside neighbors during sessions, going through the treatment themselves, showing what it means to stand with someone in the hard places. Side by side.

There’s something powerful about that kind of solidarity. Our neighbors feel it. They see it. They know they matter.

Tattoo removal might seem like a small thing to some. But for those carrying visible reminders of trauma, incarceration, gang affiliations, or lost identities, this is monumental. It’s the chance to walk into job interviews, family gatherings, or simply shared spaces without the weight of someone else’s assumptions. It's the freedom to say, “That was who I was. This is who I am now.”

This is what transformation looks like—in all its grit, grace, and courage.

We’re grateful to Creekside Day Spa for being part of this redemptive work. And we’re proud of every neighbor and team member who is doing the hard, holy work of starting over.

Your past may be part of your story—but it doesn’t have to be your label.