/EINPresswire.com/ -- NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - January 18, 2017) - The U.S. Fund for UNICEF today announced the appointment of Sandra Lee, as U.S. Fund for UNICEF Special Nutrition Emissary. The celebrated television personality, author, chef and long-time supporter of UNICEF will use her multi-media platforms to draw attention to the effects of malnutrition, which is linked to nearly half of all childhood deaths globally. Lee recently traveled to Haiti, to witness UNICEF's programs to treat children with severe acute malnutrition. Through U.S. media, footage from Sandra Lee's trip amplified UNICEF's work to a wide audience.

"I am delighted to recognize Sandra Lee's outstanding commitment to UNICEF's nutrition programs for children through this new role," says Caryl M. Stern, CEO and President of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "Sandra has been a dedicated activist on behalf of children worldwide for nearly two decades, and through her compassionate voice, she will help UNICEF keep the spotlight on the issue of malnutrition. We are extremely proud to have her in the UNICEF family."

In 1999, Sandra was one of three founding members of the Los Angeles Board of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and in 2014, traveled to UNICEF's Copenhagen Headquarters for an education on nutrition, vaccination and disaster relief. In 2016, Sandra Lee visited UNICEF nutrition programs in Haiti and accompanied health workers to weigh, measure and immunize infants and children, and to provide Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to treat malnutrition.

"UNICEF's lifesaving work is imperative. No child should die from malnutrition and no parent should have to watch their child suffer or die, especially from something that's in any way preventable," says Sandra Lee. "Throughout my entire adult life, I have been dedicated to ending childhood hunger. For 365 days a year, UNICEF's nutrition programs tackle the devastating effects of malnutrition. Raising funds and awareness is an integral part of that success."

In November 2016, Sandra Lee appeared in a national television special: "UNICHEF: Uniting through Food," on TLC and Discovery Family Channel. The TV show was based on a best-selling UNICHEF Cookbook, with 100 percent of those royalties donated to UNICEF's lifesaving work for children.

Sandra joins a roster of celebrities who have advocated on behalf of UNICEF.

About UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when no children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

About Sandra Lee
Sandra Lee is a philanthropist, multiple Emmy Award-Winner, and internationally acclaimed lifestyle expert, with numerous television shows broadcast in 63 countries. Lee is also a Special Contributor to ABC's Good Morning America, and a best-selling author of 27 books. Both an activist and an advocate, Sandra is one of three founding board members of the Los Angeles Chapter of UNICEF and serves as the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Special Nutrition Emissary. She actively supports a wide range of philanthropic organizations, including Elton John Aids Foundation, God's Love We Deliver and Food Banks Across America. Sandra also serves as a spokesperson for Stand Up To Cancer, being recognized on Capitol Hill by the Congressional Families Excellence in Cancer Awareness Award and by City of Hope with their Spirit of Life Award.

This work, along with her two-decades-long dedication to ending childhood hunger, has earned her the President's Volunteer Service Award, the Eleanor Roosevelt Medal of Honor and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.