Introducing 'Dispatches: The Changing American Dream'

Stow Patch is excited to introduce a new series for our readers: "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."

And we want your help: Tell us what issues and what stories in Stow go to the heart of the American Dream.

Every day you hear of national media reports on how American families and businesses are adjusting to trying times. 

There are so many changes happening so fast 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.

In Stow and all of our Patch sites across the nation, we want to explore that conversation on a daily basis so we can better understand how our neighbors are adjusting to both the challenges and opportunities that surround us.

Stow does not need to look farther than its own backyard to see stories that represent a multitude of American Dreams.

What's a better depiction of the American Dream than a , or a new business like during this economic climate?

Looking out across almost 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.

We want to know where Stow neighbors fit along these fault lines. 

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 are and were .

"Dispatches" will be built upon the compelling stories and photos we find right here in Stow. To unearth the real American Dream and to share these stories with the world, we need your help.

Have an idea for a Dispatch story? Email Local Editor Amanda Harnocz at amanda.harnocz@patch.com.