Dispatches: The Changing American Dream

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

Every day, the national media are full of stories about how American families, businesses and neighbors are adjusting to these trying times.

There are so many changes happening so fast that it's dizzying: 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 that we can better understand how our neighbors are adjusting to the challenges and opportunities that surround us.

We don't think that there's one American Dream but a multitude of American Dreams, which a multitude of people are working toward.

Looking out across nearly almost 900 Patch sites, we see businesses holding their collective breath, deciding whether or not to expand; college graduates returning home because they can't find jobs; and senior citizens bringing boarders into their homes to help pay their bills. We also see bold new volunteer efforts, inspiring stories of local businesses that succeed because they innovated, and locals who have taken these trying times as a signal to engage more, not less, in their government.

At the purely local level, we want to know where we, as Baldwin-Whitehall neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

Nationally, there is an ongoing economic crunch. Locally, we are seeing opening in and around Baldwin-Whitehall. Nationally, there is a debate about the education system, which is at the center of our dreams of a better life for our children. Locally, we have seen while .

"Dispatches" will be built upon the compelling vignettes and snapshots that we unearth across all of our Patch sites.

We want your input: Tell us what issues and what stories in Baldwin-Whitehall go to the heart of your American Dream. Check back for "Dispatches" stories, and please let us know if you have one to share. Send ideas to baldwin-whitehall@patch.com.