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Actress Patricia Arquette Talks To KCAL9 About Saving Haiti

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Three years ago this month, the country of Haiti was literally torn apart by a devastating killer quake.

Actress Patricia Arquette was so disturbed by the bleak post-quake images coming from Haiti, she started a foundation to help the victims. Already poor before the quake, post-quake Haiti truly caused the actress to sit up and take note.

"It really disturbed me on such a big level of how much suffering there is in the world," the actress said.

She knows the country will never begin to heal, and flourish, without an attention to things like sanitation. On her foundation's website she implores, "Sanitation is the keystone to solving so many problems in the world-- improving public health, reducing child mortality, recycling and reducing waste, and protecting water resources -- and yet no one is really talking about the problem of untreated sewage or the fact that 40 per cent of the world's poorest people live without a toilet."

KCAL9 anchor Sandra Mitchell met up with Arquette recently to discuss her foundation, Haiti's progress and how the performer is still bringing help to the poor country from her Hollywood friends.

Excerpts from that interview ran on the CBS2 News at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

Arquette told Mitchell she will return to Haiti in the coming weeks. Even when she hasn't been there physically, her heart is still there.

"I would dream about these kids all night long. All night, I'd be trying to take a kid to the hospital, then someone would come up with another emergency. I'd wake up exhausted," Arquette said.

Her "GiveLove" foundation (she is the executive director) has worked tirelessly to raise funds -- and awareness -- about the problems still facing the Caribbean nation.

Specifically, "GiveLove" was founded in part to develop temporary housing and improved sanitation systems in the impoverished county. They've also built green schools and community compost centers.

For more information about "GiveLove," including information on how to donate, click here.

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