The United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) today announced Emmy award-winning public television host, best‐selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and former refugee Lidia Bastianich as its first celebrity champion for refugee youth education.

As her first act in this role, Bastianich is asking Americans to host fundraising dinners to provide education for children in UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) camps. All funds raised will support Adopt-A-Future, a campaign of UNA-USA and USA for UNHCR that works to prevent a lost generation by giving refugee children the education they need to build a better future. A donation of just $25 provides school supplies and clothing for a refugee child to enroll in school.