EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 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. <\/p>\n
The program is a collaboration between the Women’s and Gender Studies department and “The Mustard Seed Cafe.”<\/a><\/p>\n Dr. Hilda Ontiveros-Arrieta, coordinator and assistant professor of instruction, highlighted the importance of the initiative. <\/p>\n “It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n According to UTEP’s website, Pete’s Plate provides over 600 prepared meals monthly for students. <\/p>\n The service is available Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Liberal Arts building, Room 233. <\/p>\n Additional food insecurity initiatives at UTEP can be found online.<\/a><\/p>\n