Hope Parenting Ministry of Enid recently received the Outstanding Community Partner/Agency award from the Oklahoma Career and Technical Education Equity Council.
The nonprofit ministry was one of three Oklahoma businesses and organizations honored, along with 15 individuals, at the 30th 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 at The Credit Union House of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, also recognized nontraditional students.
Hope Parenting Ministry consists of volunteer mentors who help parents -- whether biological, foster or grandparent -- with personalized lesson plans, practical classes and volunteer support, said Patricia Lopez, job developer with Northern Oklahoma College Project Achieve, who nominated the agency for the award.
“Not only will this assist our students as they are learning to balance school along with their family life, but it will continue to assist down the road when they become employed and transition into the workforce,” she said.
The nonprofit also offers other lessons, including lessons on life skills and partnerships, Lopez said. In addition, parents earn points for participation in classes, reading books to their children and more. They can exchange their points for items at the Hope Parenting Ministry store, Lopez said.
“The students in our program live on a limited income while on TANF, so things such as diapers, children’s clothing and furniture, household items and even toys are hard to buy at times when the funds are needed for other things such as electricity, water and gas,” she said. “All the forementioned items are able to be purchased within the store. This helps to alleviate some of the financial stressors that our students face when it comes to providing for their children.”
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.
“Making It Work Day is one of my favorite award ceremonies, as it allows for those graduates, community partners and instructors who have excelled to be recognized for their hard work,” said KayTee Niquette, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families coordinator at Oklahoma CareerTech. “It is an event that is traditionally held at Oklahoma’s state Capitol, but regardless of location, our awardees are allowed to shine.
“Listening to the stories of many who accept their awards is nothing but inspirational, and OkCTEEC is very excited to host this event once again, so that special projects programs with both the Oklahoma Department of Career and Education Technology and Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education might be highlighted.”
She serves as an adviser for OkCTEEC, along with Jennifer Bielli of Oklahoma Human Services and Gina McPherson of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
“On behalf of OkCTEEC we are very excited to celebrate another year of Making It Work Day,” said Robin Shambaugh, OkCTEEC president and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Journey 2 Success Delaware County coordinator. “It is our privilege to honor and recognize our outstanding graduates, instructors and business and industry partners along with our community and agency partners across the state of Oklahoma. We would like to congratulate our students and partners for their determination, hard work and dedication this year.”
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.
