SANTA BARBARA, CA – April 21, 2021 – Social justice non-profit Duet has partnered with UCSB Cooks for a free virtual cooking class in honor of World Refugee Day on June 20th. This event will be a fun and educational space for college students interested in learning cooking basics, while helping to raise awareness and donations for Duet’s mission to help struggling refugee families in Lesvos, Greece.

 

The virtual workshop is free, but all attendees are encouraged to donate any amount to Duet’s refugee funds. Any donation made during the event will be doubled by Duet as a part of Duet’s ongoing matching gift drive in which each donation has twice the life-changing impact on a refugee family in need.

 

The virtual cooking class will kick off with a brief introduction of Duet and their partnership with the UCSB Cooks program by Michael Cesar, CEO and Co-founder of Duet.

 

“I’m very excited to partner with UCSB Cooks in this upcoming virtual cooking workshop,” says Michael Cesar. “I’m looking forward to seeing an increase in awareness of Duet and our mission among young college students who I hope will be interested in making a positive difference on vulnerable populations through our cause.”

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After a brief introduction from Michael Cesar, Chef Mallory, instructor of the UCSB Cooks program, will then begin teaching students meal prep tips while on a budget, basic kitchen skills, and a creamy lemon pasta recipe while attendees are able to follow along in their own kitchens.

 

“Students have always expressed so much enthusiasm and gratitude towards the UCSB Cooks program and I could not be more excited to share my love for cooking with beginner home-cooks, especially when this event is in partnership with such an amazing cause,” says Chef Mallory.

 

Throughout the course of the class, students will be able to donate directly to Duet’s COVID-19 relief fund for refugee families in Greece. Those who choose to donate will also be able to sign-up to be on Duet’s email newsletter list to receive personalized notifications of how exactly their donations positively impacted a refugee family in need. After the fundraiser has ended, all attendees will be emailed the recipe taught during the workshop.

 

UCSB Cooks x Duet: Intro to the Kitchen will be hosted virtually via Zoom on June 20th from 5:00-6:00 pm. RSVP now at https://www.giveduet.org/ucsbcooks

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About Duet

 

Duet is a startup non-profit company founded by people from USC with the mission of helping refugees located in Greece by connecting them with donors in a system that allows them to request exactly what they need from local stores. Most notably, Duet differentiates itself from other social welfare non-profits by giving refugees with the “dignity of choice” since organizations that assume what beneficiaries need and want often get it wrong. Duet strives to address such inefficiencies in humanitarian aid by providing beneficiaries with the dignity and freedom of choosing the exact items they need to help rebuild their lives. Duet also provides donors with complete transparency to see exactly how their money is positively impacting a refugee family. For more information, visit https://www.giveduet.org

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About UCSB Cooks

 

UCSB Cooks is a program under the UCSB Health & Wellness Department that offers a quarterly multi-week cooking series where students are given the tools to be successful and safe in the kitchen. Participants are able to develop basic knife skills, learn how to cook new recipes while on a budget, and meet new friends in a fun and educational environment.

 

Press Contact

 

William Qu

xwxi@ucsb.edu