Dispatches: The Changing American Dream

We're excited to inaugurate a new occasional series for our Patch Readers: "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."

Every day, the national media is filled with stories about how American families, businesses and neighbors are adjusting to these trying times. Changes seem to come at a dizzying pace. National debates about unemployment, foreclosures, debt, religion, government and private enterprise all touch on fundamental ways in which we see ourselves and our communities. At Patch, we want to explore that conversation on a daily basis so we can better understand how our neighbors are adjusting to the challenges and opportunities that surround us.

We don't think there's one vision of the American Dream, but many, and a multitude of people are finding their own way. Looking out across nearly almost 900 Patch sites, we see college graduates returning home because they can't find jobs, senior citizens taking in boarders help pay their bills and local business people struggling to survive and thrive. We also see displaced professionals trying to change careers, jobless people approaching the end of their unemployment benefits and volunteers who see trying times as a call to engage more, not less, in their communities.

Here in Ocean County, we've been telling these sorts of stories since Brick Patch's launch last November, and we look forward to telling even more. One of our first stories was about neighbors helping to the homebound. We've explored the in our county receiving government assistance. We reported on how many homeowners in Brick were after they were unable to pay their property taxes. And we've checked in on our local marine industry to see how with the struggling economy.

The common thread in stories like these are the people in our towns who are working to fulfill some portion of the American Dream for their neighbors, their families and themselves. These are the kinds of stories we plan to continue telling in "Dispatches" and we invite you to help. Let us know about the issues, struggles and successes in your communities and the people touched by them.

Please email me at daniel.nee@patch.com with your suggestions.