President Barack Obama made a promise to help veterans, urban sprawls, disabled citizens, legal immigrants, small businesses and the environment. He made all these promises during one of the worst financial times in our nation’s history. The unemployment rate in Syracuse is more than 8 percent, 3 percent higher than a year ago and nearly three times that of nine years ago.

In August of 2008, 15 U.S. service members from stations across the globe convened to attend the Military Photojournalism course at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications of Syracuse University. Our professors gave us the daunting task of telling Syracuse’s story through the eyes of locals. Each of us practically became stalkers with cameras, audio recorders and note pads to gather information so we could tell their stories.

Each subject has a story that intertwines with the next. Some of the subjects know each other. Some are helping others, and some are being helped. Some are struggling, and some aren’t.

They are crack addicts. They can’t walk. They are homeless. They are worried about the future. They are building friendships. They are thriving. They are community leaders. They are fighters.

They are "Finding a Way."

We present their stories and hope our pixels and letters do them justice.