Reduce poverty, homelessness and unemployment in Oklahoma.

The Education and Employment Ministry (TEEM) is an interfaith, 501 (c) 3, non-profit organization. For the past 20 years, TEEM has served and nurtured over 12 thousand lives and families in our community. When TEEM was founded in 1987, the focus was primarily on helping men, with alcohol and substance abuse issues.  Today, our emphasis is on providing education, social services and job training and placement, so our students are able to become self-sufficient and pass on that legacy to their children. We serve, at no charge, any person who is at least 18 years of age, sober and desires to improve their future. We serve both men and women with wide racial diversity.  

16% of Oklahoman's live below the poverty level, so TEEM's response is to provide comprehensive educational courses to our community to serve as a crucial stepping stone out of poverty. By providing GED, computer and job skill classes we strive to provide options for our students in the field that meet their needs, passions and goals.

The Job Placement department at TEEM is committed to educating and training our students for long-term, successful employment. Students that attend ‘Ready For Work’ classes are equipped with the tools and information to successfuly find employment. Our commitment to success goes beyond removing the barrier of joblessness. We strive to help our students build confidence, live purposefully and put and end to the cycle of poverty.

Imagine having never seen healthy conflict management or successful financial decisions made in your life. It would be very challenging to emulate successful living if you'd never had the example passed down. TEEM's life skills classes offers students the opportunity to learn skills necessary for maintaining successful relationships, managing finances and personal life, building character and, most importantly, accepting self. Life skills classes can be the difference in getting a job and keeping a job. Learning to interact with others, navigate stressful situations and manage money are all major denominators in successful living.

We also help students overcome other barriers that keep them from finding and keeping a job. Without transportation, appropriate clothing, childcare or identification finding a job can be next to impossible, but our team of social workers meet with each student to find solutions to these inhibiting issues.

Since 2007 our enrollment has increased by over 255%. This extreme increase has placed an enormous strain on our already stretched resources. We desire to help everyone who comes to us, but for the first time in our history we are turning people away. For TEEM to continue to grow and provide our clients with an environment that is conducive for a successful transition into self-sufficient living we must have community partners with the same passion for changing lives. We are always looking to build partnerships with other organizations and people in the community that can assist our clients with overcoming barriers. It lifts an incredible burden when people in the community come along side us with a shared love and concern for our student’s well-being and desire to work with us to help change lives.