The Story
Hard truths. Second chances. Real impact.
Mother Ink began with a simple belief: people deserve the chance to be seen for who they are becoming—not only for where they have been.
Why Mother Ink exists
The ink can stay after the life has changed.
A tattoo can outlast the moment, the relationship, the danger, and the identity it once represented.
For someone leaving gang life, prison, exploitation, or a traumatic chapter, visible ink can continue to create risk and misunderstanding. It can affect how a person is treated when they look for work, housing, education, or a safer place in the community.
Mother Ink exists to help loosen that hold. The work is practical—laser tattoo removal—but its meaning is human. It can be one more step toward dignity, safety, confidence, and forward movement.
No one is reduced to a worst decision here. The starting point is the person in front of us and the future they are choosing.
Della Steinke
Lived experience became a place to belong.
Della’s path to Mother Ink was not polished or predictable. Her own life has included instability, addiction, survival, motherhood, sobriety, and the slow work of healing. Those experiences did not make her less able to serve—they shaped the way she shows up.
Years ago, while working around people returning to community life, Della saw how gang-related tattoos could keep someone exposed to judgment and danger. She began helping after hours. Word travelled. What started as a practical response grew into a community-rooted program.
Today, Della brings the same directness to every conversation: no performance, no moralizing, no pretending the past was easy. Just hard work, humour, care, and a belief that change deserves support.
Mothering to Mother Ink
From lived experience to public story.
Mothering to Mother Ink: A raw memoir of hard truths and second chances, written with Kevin Zdrill, traces Della’s journey through abuse, early motherhood, addiction, sobriety, and the work she does today.
The book is part of the same mission: telling the truth without shame, making room for people to recognize themselves, and showing that another chapter is possible.
Explore the memoir
Documentary · Media · Press
Seen. Heard. Recognized.
Public coverage has helped bring Mother Ink’s work—and the people behind it—into a larger conversation about healing, reintegration, and second chances.
United Way Winnipeg
“Getting comfortable in your own skin.”
Community story · Read coverage ↗ CityNews WinnipegA life story put into ink—so others can feel less alone.
Memoir coverage · Watch and read ↗ Global NewsMobile outreach opens another road to a new beginning.
Community coverage · Watch and read ↗
Community recognition
Trust is built by showing up.
Mother Ink’s credibility comes from the work itself: relationships with community organizations, public institutions, correctional settings, supporters, and—most importantly—the people who walk through the door.
Recognition matters because it expands what the program can reach. But the mission remains personal: one person, one honest conversation, one next step at a time.
Ready to start your next chapter?
You do not need to tell your whole story at once. Start with one message or one call.