About this column:
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. 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 Lisle 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 Lisle go to the heart of your American Dream.One would think that talk of bringing troops home from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan would mean a decreased need for services provided by civilian support organizations. But that’s not how Deb Rickert, founder of Lisle-based Operation Support Our Troops – America, sees the future. As military missions and budgets shift in a changing political and economic climate, Rickert speculated that work performed by her organization and other private groups will only increase. “I think our mission will only ratchet up. There’s a lot to do to help the ones who are returning and there are still plenty…
When a group of teens from Trinity Lutheran Church went to West Virginia last month, they knew they would be helping others make much-needed home improvements. By the end of the week though, they had also built lasting friendships and witnessed the power of God at work, they said. “It was probably the most life-changing thing I’ve ever gone through,” said Kate Russo, a sophomore at Lisle Senior High School. “And I seem to come back a lot more mature than I am when I go. You kind of grow spiritually and emotionally.” “It’s humbling,” said Marykate Ramsay, a sophomore at Bolingbrook High School…
