Community Corner

Introducing 'Dispatches,' a Series on the Changing American Dream

We want to tell the stories of how your friends and neighbors have adjusted to the changing American Dream.

We at Maplewood-Brentwood Patch are excited about a new local series called Dispatches: The Changing American Dream.

It's part of a national Patch effort to explore, highlight and discuss the stories of different Americans chasing different dreams.

National debates focus on topics like job creation, unemployment and foreclosures. But we often hear stories on the local level, too, about our friends adjusting to these trying times, whether it's a small business owner who weathered the recession or our neighbor who took on a second job to help pay the bills. 

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

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 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.

At the purely local level, we want to know where we, as Maplewood and Brentwood neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

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 Maplewood and Brentwood go to the heart of your American Dream.

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

Please email me at ryan.martin@patch.com and share your story, or share the story of your friends or neighbors. I look forward to hearing from you.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Maplewood-Brentwood