What Does the American Dream Mean in Homewood-Flossmoor?

In the eight months since Homewood-Flossmoor Patch has launched, we've come to know your struggles and your victories. We've come to know your worries and your hopes.

We’ve tried to tell your story. And in nearly 900 Patches across 900 American towns, we've come to see a larger vision. We see America changing before our eyes.

American families, businesses and neighbors are coping with tremendous challenges. National debates have been ignited about unemployment, debt, religion and the role of government. Businesses big and small have attempted to navigate an uncertain future.

In Patch towns from coast to coast, college graduates are returning home unable to find jobs, senior citizens are struggling to pay the bills and businesses are cutting costs to stay alive. 

But it's not all bad.

We also see , and in their government.

Already we've reported on . We've . And .

At the core of these issues is a larger question: What has happened to the American Dream? Does it still exist? Is it still attainable? We at Patch want to explore that conversation on a daily basis.

We want to dig further into Homewood and Flossmoor and tell these stories at the local level.

Nationally, Americans are debating the role of government.

Nationally, there's a debate about the education system, which is at the center of our dreams of a better life for our children.

The launch of Dispatches signals the start of a conversation that will be built upon the compelling vignettes and snapshots we unearth across all of our Patch sites across the nation.

We hope you'll join in the conversation and talk to us about the dreams you have for your country, your town, yourself — and the challenges you face in achieving those dreams.  Because, after all, your dream is the American Dream. Your story is the American story.

We're just here to tell it.