Dispatches: The Changing American Dream & What it Means to You

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

Every day, the national media is 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 we can better understand how our neighbors are adjusting to the challenges and opportunities that surround us.

We don't think there's one American Dream, but a multitude of American Dreams which a multitude of people are working toward. Looking out across nearly 900 Patch sites across the country, we see businesses holding their breath deciding whether 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've 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 East End neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

Nationally, there's a debate about the importance of small business and the obstacles they face in the current economic climate. Locally, Regent Square has seen the opening of three new restaurants, all owned by people committed to the neighborhood, in just a span of a few months. , and all opened to rave reviews and great success thus far, all the while launching in a volatile economy.

Nationally, there's a debate about the education system, which is at the center of our dreams of a better life for our children. Locally, we know schools are currently facing large imposed by the , adding more challenges to the goal of providing students with the knowledge they need to build a better future for themselves.

In , the issue of is affecting an entire community as council and crews fight a problem that affects the economic stability of the neighborhood.

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

And, of course, we want your help: Tell us what issues and what stories in the Forest Hills-Regent Square area go to the heart of your American Dream.

E-mail Stephanie.Rex@Patch.com with any ideas or suggestions and stay tuned!