Iron Brush Tattoo to give free ink and support Community Action to celebrate anniversary

What's one way to do something positive for the Lincoln community? Get inked.

Iron Brush Tattoo will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a charity event this Sunday. The shop has partnered with Community Action to give previous Iron Brush customers free tattoos with a minimum $20 donation to the charity.

The event will not only serve as a celebration, but will also be an opportunity for customers to take part in a collaborative effort that will benefit Lincolnites.

"We've been here for 10 years, so we were going to do a 10-year party where we just tattooed everybody for free," said Tyson Schaffert of Iron Brush Tattoo who was also one of the event's organizers.

"And then we decided, well, why not do the same party, but just have it be for a charity? Basically we've been here for 10 years and we wanted to figure out a way to thank the community."

Aaron Bowen, chief operating officer of Community Action, has been a long-time customer of Iron Brush. According to Schaffert, the last time Bowen was in the shop getting tattooed, they were still deciding which charity to support in this event. Bowen shared some information about Community Action and the shop ultimately decided to sponsor them.

Bowen and other staff of Community Action will be present on Sunday to provide information on its organization and collect donations. Bowen will also be kicking off the day by getting the first tattoo that his colleagues pick for him.

"I have a connection to them, as well," Bowen said. "The biggest thing we're trying to emphasize is even if you don't want to get tattooed or can't get scheduled, you can still come in and make a donation to Community Action."

According to a case statement by Community Action, more than 35,000 people are living in poverty in Lincoln. The charity is comprised of more than 20 programs that offer aid to those in need. A major goal of Community Action is to facilitate positive change that has longevity, rather than acting as a short-term Band-Aid.

"The goal across our agency is to leave people more self-sufficient than when we found them," Bowen said. "Our model is all about incremental change. It's about helping people make positive changes in their lives."

Community Action helps people utilize the resources they have available to them, so that they are ultimately learning how to address the problems they are facing and the charity is meant to serve simply as a facilitator.

"People are resilient, especially the people we work with," Bowen said. "They have gone through or live in completely tragic situations and none of us have any idea what they're like. So now you apply that resilience to, say, a job search. People can do it."

Working toward this positive change means celebrating each step toward success. Bowen notes that they praise someone who shows up for a job interview or a refugee who is able to read their mail for the first time. Clients are also able to come together in a peer setting to learn and discuss how to address certain issues.

This comes in the form of GED and supportive housing classes, as well as group case management. Group case management allows clients to work together to devise solutions to a specific person's issues and concerns.

This offers a form of self-empowerment, while creating a sense of community between clients. These connections are what Iron Brush's charity event is all about.

"In fact, someone was here getting tattooed and said that they had went through that (Community Action) program a few years earlier," Schaffert said. "This was while I was tattooing someone from the Humane Society and we make posters for them too."

The shop is dedicated to working with a variety of facets within the Lincoln community. Their celebratory event benefits everyone involved; Community Action is supported while customers can walk away with a free tattoo.

"They've got a real sense of community," Bowen said of Iron Brush Tattoo. "It's kind of a cliché, but we're in the business of doing permanent good. Well, they're in the business of doing permanent art."

kelseylee@dailynebraskan.com

If you go:

Iron Brush Free Tattoo DAy

when: Sunday, 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.

where: Iron Brush Tattoo, 1024 O St.

how much: $20 minimum donation

Free Tattoo Day Rules and Regulations (BOB):

1. You must have already been tattooed by Iron Brush Tattoo or Dave Robinson. This will be verified by the artist.

2. It is a free tattoo with a minimum donation of $20 per tattoo.

3. Tattoos will be done on a first come, first serve basis. You must sign up in person only on that day and be present when your name is called.

4. Tattoo design options will come only from in-house posters. Designs cannot be changed other than the colors.

5. Only arms, legs and shoulders will be tattooed on Sunday. Necks, ribs/sides or stomachs/hip areas will not be tattooed.

6. "Come to have fun and donate. This is about getting cool, small tattoos, having a good time with our clients and finding a way to donate to a great cause."