Salwens at New House

Power of Half

From: Philip Graitcer
Length: 03:34

It sounded like a goofy, crazy downsizing plan. The Salwen family downsized - moving from a 7-bedroom mansion into a smaller house and giving the proceeds to charity. But they say they traded stuff for togetherness Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Power of Half
From: Philip Graitcer

Salwens_at_new_house_small It sounded like a downsizing plan.

The Salwen family downsized - moving from a 7-bedroom mansion into a smaller house and giving the proceeds to charity. But they say they traded stuff for togetherness

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Piece Description

It sounded like a downsizing plan.

The Salwen family downsized - moving from a 7-bedroom mansion into a smaller house and giving the proceeds to charity. But they say they traded stuff for togetherness

Broadcast History

WABE (Atlanta) 2/3/09

Transcript

SLUG: Power of Half

______________

In 2006, 14-year old Hannah Salwen and her dad were stopped at a traffic light in downtown Atlanta. She looked out the car window.

I looked to my left and I saw this homeless man sitting on the sidewalk, holding up a sign that said, “please help.” And then on my right I saw a man in a Mercedes. And I kind of toggled back between the halves and the have nots and I said to my dad it that guy to my right, the man in the Mercedes, didn’t have such a nice car, the man, the homeless man would have a meal.

That night at dinner, Hannah was still angry at the world’s inequities. Her dad, a writer and entrepreneur, tried to explain that their family was really trying to make a difference. But Hannah would have none of it:

I said I don’t want to be a family that talks about doing something. I want really got out there and I want to make a difference. And my...
Read the full transcript