Revisiting the American Dream

Everyone has been affected by America's topsy-turvy economic landscape.

Looking out across nearly 900 Patch sites, we see businesses holding their breath on whether to expand, college graduates returning home because they can't find jobs, and senior citizens taking on boarders to help pay the bills.

To share those stories, Patch sites nationwide are embarking today on a project called "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream," an attempt to chronicle the hopes and heartbreaks, aspirations and frustrations of average Americans.

We don't think there's one American Dream, but rather a multitude of dreams envisioned by a multitude of people.

We see bold new volunteer efforts, innovative business ventures, and residents making a difference through increased involvement in schools, churches and government.

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

In the coming weeks, I'll be meeting with different community groups and leaders and families to talk about how they are coping with the present and imagining the future.

Share your stories, e-mail me at jenna.chandler@patch.com.