WorldOrlando, which is not to be confused with Orlando World, is teaming up with Z Asian Vietnamese Kitchen and our friends at TastyChomps to host a fundraising dinner for Afghan refugees Monday, Oct. 17. The dinner will be at Z Asian, 1830 E. Colonial Drive, from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased here.

All proceeds from the dinner will go to WorldOrlando’s Afghan International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Alumni Emergency Relief Fund. IVLP is a United States Department of State program that sponsors short-term visits to the U.S. for current and emerging foreign leaders. The emergency relief fund was set up to help IVLP alumni in Afghanistan and other countries who are at risk because of their involvement in U.S.-funded activities cover food, shelter and other basic needs as well as relocation expenses.

WorldOrlando, a nonprofit organization founded in 1963, is the local implementer of the state department’s IVLP program.

Z Asian’s owner, Hien Nguyen, was a refugee from Vietnam in the 1970s and Ricky Ly, TastyChomps’s founder and a WorldOrlando board member, is the son of Vietnamese refugees. They both understand the needs of those seeking refuge from the tragedies of war.

Z Asian Vietnamese Kitchen was recently recognized as a Bib Gourmand recommended restaurant in the inaugural Florida edition of Michelin Guide. The buffet-style dinner will feature some of the foods that earned them that recognition, including savory sticky rice, beef curry, vegan curry, grilled beef and chicken, and stir-fried noodles.