Tattoo artist Chris Baker of INK180 visits Elgin church

Chris Baker founded the nonprofit arm of INK 180 in October 2011 to offer the opportunity for a real second chance to the least of these, the invisible, the forgotten, the discarded.

Baker provides his time, supplies and artwork, entirely free of charge to former gang members trying to get their lives back on track as well as the victims of human trafficking. He will be speaking this Sunday at Elgin City Church, a new church launched in February in Elgin.

The idea of free tattoos came from his former warehouse employees. "They would say, 'I wish I could get rid of my tattoos. I'm tired of getting judged'," Baker told ABC News.com. "And I decided that's my calling," says Chris Baker, 42 of INK180.

"No matter the design, I just love being able to take away the visible reminders of their past and give them something beautiful to remind them of their future."

Human trafficking has become a global epidemic that plagues almost every country and is one of the world's fastest-growing crimes. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates the sex trafficking industry brings in approximately $9.5 billion a year.

"This is not just a national issue, but a local issue as well. All you have to do is pull up sites like Backpages.com to find out that prostitution and sex slavery is happening right in our backyard," says Pastor Rusty Wimberly of Elgin City Church. "We don't like to acknowledge that it's happening, but it is and we need to bring awareness to our community and bring hope to the individuals trapped in the gang lifestyle or trafficking."

Gang shootings and violence in Elgin also have been in the forefront lately. Police have been investigating the fifth shooting in Elgin since mid-April. Many of these issues stem from drugs and gang violence.

Elgin City Church is in the middle of a four-week series for the month of April titled "The Thrill of Hope: Hope for a Weary World." Chris Baker and INK180 is on the front lines of bringing hope to some people who are the most hopeless. Baker will be speaking at Elgin City Church this Sunday, April 17, at 11 a.m.

Elgin City Church meets at 51 S. Spring St., Suite 125A in downtown Elgin.

"We welcome people no matter what stage of their journey of faith they are on, tattoos and all!" says the Elgin Pastor. You can find out more information about INK180 or Chris Baker at his website, www.ink180ministry.com.