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, 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.

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

Last spring, for example, we looked at the changing economic landscape and its impact on students in Kirkland schools, some of them homeless.

"We worry about kids going hungry on the weekend," said Concha Lapuente, a counselor at in Juanita who helps coordinate a program that sends backpacks of food home with kids in need. "I think, what happens to these kids on the weekend? Do they have cereal or nothing at all? I’m not going to send a kid to a hotel room with no food."

Even the more fortunate are finding challenges in realizing their dreams. Last winter we checked in with Olympic silver medalist figure skater Rosalynn Sumners, struggling to keep her Kirkland boutique shops  afloat.

“I love everything about being in retail except what the economy has done to us,” she said. “I hate the feeling of not being as good as I can be. I have to learn that this situation is not within my control.”

So tell us what issues and what stories in Kirkland go to the heart of your American dream. Send your ideas to editor Greg Johnston at greg.johnston@patch.com.