The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma recently received the Outstanding Community Partner award from the Oklahoma Career and Technical Education Equity Council.
The food bank was one of three Oklahoma businesses and organizations honored, along with 17 individuals, at the 29th annual Making It Work Day at the Capitol on March 6.
Making It Work Day recognizes individuals who are committed to removing barriers to success for single-parent families by providing educational experiences for students beyond the classroom. The ceremony, which was held in the rotunda at the Oklahoma Capitol, also recognized nontraditional students.
The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma partners with Tulsa Technology Center as part of its mission to end hunger in the state, said Jeana Cole, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Work Prep coordinator at Tulsa Tech, who nominated the agency for the award.
Food bank programs include emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, child feeding programs, senior feeding programs and veterans programs, Cole said.
It is available to all students in need on Tulsa Tech’s campuses, she said, and the Culinary Center at the food bank prepares meals from perishable food that would otherwise be discarded.
Tulsa Tech students interested in restaurant management and culinary careers have also been able to complete internships with the food bank’s Culinary Center, Cole said.
OkCTEEC is affiliated with the administrative division of the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education. The council advocates for students pursuing nontraditional careers and for resources for educating single parents.
“OkCTEEC is always privileged to honor those who have chosen a career path that is nontraditional and those individuals or partners who have assisted them in their quest,” said KayTee Niquette, Work Prep and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families coordinator at the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. “This year is a transitional year that everyone seems to be working through, so students and others have been doing an exceptional job meeting in person and through a hybrid model.”
She serves as an adviser for OkCTEEC, along with Lisa French of the Department of Human Services and Gina McPherson of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
“All of us continue to navigate through the continuing pandemic, facing new challenges each and every day,” said Kelly Vinson, OkCTEEC president and director of Project Achieve at Northern Oklahoma College. “Our students have shown tremendous strength and determination navigating through the many challenges they face along the way. It is a great honor to recognize these students, who have excelled and are continuing to reach their goals.”
OkCTEEC’s purposes include promoting and supporting career and technology education, increasing its effectiveness, promoting research in the field and in educational equity, developing leadership and advocating for equity and diversity.
For more information about OkCTEEC, visit https://www.cteec.org/okcteec. For more information about the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, visit www.okcareertech.org.
