Poehler: Orphans are resourceful

Amy Poehler is inspired by the “resourceful” orphans she met in Haiti.

The Caribbean country was hit with a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010 and the natural catastrophe is thought to have left over one million homeless and 300,000 dead.

Amy visited Haiti with Worldwide Orphan Foundation (WWO) in 2012 to connect with parentless children through comedic theatre and the experience changed her life.

"I was really inspired by what the kids had to say, how much they wanted to do, how much they wanted to create,” she told People magazine. “Because you have to be resourceful as an orphan … and [I thought] it'd be really great to find an artistic outlet for them."

Amy shares two sons with ex-husband Will Arnett–Archibald, six, and Abel, four.

Chasing around her little ones at home made practicing improv with the Haitian orphans a piece of cake for the Parks & Recreation actress.

"Children are not that interested in the future or past," Amy noted. "They really are about the present moment, so that's an easy connection to improv."

The star, who recently hosted the Golden Globes with Tina Fey, first became involved with WWO while she was expecting.

And Amy says motherhood made her get serious about philanthropy.

"I was actually pregnant at the time, and it made very simple sense to me that every child should be protected, fed, clothed, taken care of and able to live a healthy life surrounded with creativity and love,” she shared.

Amy hopes to inspire youth to take charitable action by hosting fundraisers for WWO.

She recently held an event in December at famous comedy spot, the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles.

"[I want to get] more young people get connected to this idea of taking care of all the other young people in the world who desperately need it,” Amy said.