Community Corner

How Have Times Changed Your American Dream?

Patch wants to know what your American Dream is and how you are pursuing it

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.

Find out what's happening in Mentorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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.

But 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.

Find out what's happening in Mentorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Here, in Mentor, we want to know what your dream is and how you're still pursuing it. Is it by , who was inspired by her granddaughter to create clothing specifically designed to fit those with Down syndrome?

Perhaps, you are like Lisa Keller and Kerrianne DiLorenzo Simon. They saw something missing in their community – a place where kids could dance, have fun and still be safe – so they

Or maybe your story is of a dream deferred, like the recently shuttered .

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

And, of course, we need your help: Tell us what issues and what stories in Mentor go to the heart of your American Dream.


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