EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Pete’s Plate, an initiative at the University of Texas at El Paso, is providing students with warm meals in an effort to increase graduation rates, particularly among first-generation students.
The program is a collaboration between the Women’s and Gender Studies department and “The Mustard Seed Cafe.”
Dr. Hilda Ontiveros-Arrieta, coordinator and assistant professor of instruction, highlighted the importance of the initiative.
“It’s important because of the high numbers of food insecurity that the students reported in the recent data and also because first-generation college students have a graduation rate of about 47% when their basic needs are insecure, including food insecurity, as opposed to 76% who are not first generation, and their basic needs are secured,” she said.
According to UTEP’s website, Pete’s Plate provides over 600 prepared meals monthly for students.
The service is available Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Liberal Arts building, Room 233.
Additional food insecurity initiatives at UTEP can be found online.
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