Dispatches: The Changing American Dream

We're excited to kick off a new series for our Patch readers: "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."
 Through ongoing articles, we'll address how the economic and political climate impacts the people of Edmonds.

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 adapting 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 almost 900 Patch sites across the country, we see businesses grappling with whether to expand, college graduates returning to their parents' homes 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 Edmonds neighbors, fit along these fault lines.
 We've already looked at how some national struggles show up on a local level. In a Patch series on homelessness, we wrote about how impacts the Edmonds School District. We also looked at students attending community college . Edmonds Patch, and Patch sites around the country, will continue to document stories like these, in which individuals work toward their own stability and survival.

Stories will also look at achievements and efforts to make Edmonds a better place to live. For instance, today's story on the movement behind a Business Improvement District indicates how local business leaders are committed to maintaining a thriving downtown.

"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 Edmonds go to the heart of your American Dream.