President Barack Obama continued to use Elkhart as an example of recession impacted cities during Wednesday night's State of the Union address.

"These struggles are what I've witnessed for years in places like Elkhart, Indiana and Galesburg, Illinois. I hear about them in the letters that I read each night," said Obama.

Many Elkhart residents watched the President's address to see Obama's future plans for job creation.

Jeff Vander Vilet was let go a year ago from his job at an RV industry. Since then he's seen Obama visit the county several times, including nearby Concord High School.

"When he comes back and talks about Elkhart, each time he's promised that he's going to help us and not always has the help actually come," said Vander Vilet, who was overall receptive to Obama's speech.

Vander Vilet said he continues to keep faith by his side and remains optimistic, while still being cautious.

"A speech is just that, they are words. and now you have to put steps to the different plans, to the promises and everything else and you have to put action to that. a speech is just a first step," said Vander Vilet.

Also among the more than 30 million Americans who watched the State of the Union was Greg Holcomb, who was laid off in November.

He said while Obama may continually use Elkhart as a poster child for the recession, it doesn't mean residents always consider it one.

"it's nothing new," said Holcomb. "Elkhart has been through this before, and we have the faith to know that we will come out of it again, we just want the opportunity to go back to work and earn a living."

Elkhart mayor Dick Moore was also optimistic following Obama's speech.

"We're not down and out, we're not standing on the street corners begging or anything like that. We needed a hand up, we didn't need a hand out," said Moore. "The President said earlier, last year that these funds need to go back quickly to provide jobs in the most distressed areas of the country and no one can deny with 20 percent unemployment that we were on the top of that list."