Actress Amy Poehler chats about philanthropy
The KC Chat series kicked off on Tuesday, Oct. 13 with Poehler speaking about believing in yourself
By Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
Amy Poehler arrives for the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 20.
October 14, 2015
Tuesday nights for most people are not especially thrilling, but the crowd at the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts on Tuesday, Oct. 13, would argue otherwise.
They had been awaiting the appearance of Amy Poehler, an actress with a resume longer than the Constitution itself, including seven years on “Saturday Night Live” and six years starring in her Golden Globe-winning role of Leslie Knope in “Parks and Recreation.” Lately, however, she feels her time is better spent doing philanthropy, making the first ever KC Chat series a perfect venue for her to share ideas about altruism and kindness.
KC Chat is a sequence of live, local events sponsored by Bishop McCann, with its inaugural session in the fall focusing on female empowerment. Other guests will include writer Liz Murray on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis on Tuesday, Nov. 9.
Much of the discussion was centered around Smart Girls at the Party, an organization founded by Poehler that creates web content aimed at young girls in order to educate, empower, and inspire them to chase after what they believe in.
“Most young girls have a magic age where they feel [confident] in themselves,” Poehler said at the event. “And then someone or something contaminates that.”
Starting global charities such as Smart Girls and the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, led by Poehler as an ambassador, is obviously not the easiest and most attainable goal. Actor and Kansas City native Paul Rudd, who served as a surprise moderator for the discussion, believes anyone can make a difference on a miniature scale.
“It can be an overwhelming thought: What can I do?” Rudd said at the event. “You just start small.”
Throughout the chat, quite a bit of discussion came up about self-esteem and setting goals, but the most touching topic of the night was that of being comfortable with yourself.
“At some point, you have to laugh about the serious stuff, and dance,” Poehler said. “Women and girls get especially self-conscious, so if you can dance and not care how you look, that’s the key to success.”
