Can we still dare to aspire to the American Dream?

Generations believed that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should have as good a chance as anyone to create a better life for yourself and your family. That certainly holds true for some. But for many others, the prospect of a better life now may appear permanently out of reach.

The Huffington Post and Patch have launched a year-long effort to chronicle how this dream has changed and what people are doing to make it come true. With Patch sites in more than 850 towns and neighborhoods from coast to coast, we are going to tell the stories of people chatting at the diner, inventing in the garage, sweating in the factory, and seeking help in the soup kitchen.

Join us. The stories you read will surprise you. But the resilience and resourcefulness that allowed the people of our country to dream through hard times before will seem very familiar.