Ogden tattoo shop owner bringing Ukrainian refugee to Utah

OGDEN, Utah — Tattooing is Jack Knowlden’s ardour.

Knowlden is the proprietor of “Pores and skin It” Tattoo, which has two outlets in Ogden.

A second ardour of Knowlden’s helps others. He not too long ago took a powerful curiosity in serving to these impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In March, FOX 13 Information spoke to Knowlden when he was in Medyka, Poland, giving help to Ukrainian refugees.

“Even when I attempt to method them, at first they’re scared, however to see them smile once you give them that scorching cocoa or that piece of chocolate, like, that simply sticks with you,” Knowlden stated in March.

He made a return journey to Poland the next month.

It was in April that Knowlden determined to get a tattoo to recollect his expertise.

“So, I simply went on Instagram, I regarded up Ukrainian tattoo artists, begin scrolling by a couple of,” he stated.

That is how he discovered Zinaida Horetska, a Ukrainian refugee who fled her hometown of Dnipro.

“She actually simply went to Warsaw, simply to tattoo to earn money to ship again to her buddies that had been caught there combating,” stated Knowlden.

Knowlden gave her his card afterward.

After not seeing each other for a couple of weeks, Knowlden met Horetska and her pal for espresso and gave her some cash, which she ended up utilizing to purchase provides to ship dwelling to Dnipro.

Knowlden then returned dwelling to Ogden.

After a few weeks, he stated Horetska reached out, asking if he would sponsor her and assist convey her to the US. He stated this got here after she had been attempting to return to America along with her pal, however her visa fell by.

Knowlden jumped on the probability, utilizing the Uniting for Ukraine program to assist fill out all the required paperwork.

“You turn out to be a beneficiary, so what the U.S. Authorities desires you to show is which you can present for any person that is coming over right here,” stated Knowlden.

A tattoo conference that Knowlden helped placed on final month in Ogden raised $20,000. These funds will go towards facilitating Horetska’s transfer to Utah.

Horetska says she is worked up for a contemporary begin.

“It is miracle,” she stated. “Like future. I do not know the way it occurred.”

The transfer to the US will even enable Horetska to proceed her love for tattooing at one in every of Knowlden’s outlets.

“It is my ardour and I am tremendous excited,” she stated. “Right here in Poland, it is actually exhausting to search out shoppers. I like my work very a lot and doing my finest.”

It’s one thing Knowlden was comfortable to make occur.

“We’re serving to make her desires come true and she or he’s going to be tattooing in America,” he stated.

Knowlden advised FOX 13 Information that he purchased Horetska’s aircraft ticket, and she’s going to arrive in Utah on July 21.

He says he’s additionally sponsoring a Ukrainian mom and her son, and all of the paperwork for them was authorized a few week and a half in the past.

Knowlden says the mom and son will ultimately be part of one other relative in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania sooner or later.