Even as Election Day approached, local people continued doing good works for their friends and neighbors. Here's a look at some of the praiseworthy deeds from the past couple weeks:
The NorthWood High School band marched to a third-place finish Saturday at the Class C ISSMA state finals, improving three spots on its previous best finish -- a sixth in 2007.
The Concord Marching Minutemen, competing in memory of fallen senior drum captain Blake Varab, finished seventh in Class B. Varab, 18, died at his home of natural causes Oct. 15.
"What we've been through the past three weeks -- I think we've come together as a whole section and we did our best today," senior percussionist Courtney Hemminger told an Elkhart Truth reporter. "It was harder without him there."
Northridge came home 10th in Class B. Congratulations to all three bands.
Soup of Success held the first of three shopping days Sunday. Customers can choose gift baskets and fill them with SOS cookie, dip and soup mixes.
SOS, a Church Community Services project, helps women improve their lives through career counseling, support groups, education, mentoring and job training. You can still pick out gift baskets from 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 10 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 13 at Church Community Services, 629 S. Third Street.
Speaking of soup, the community turned out in early October for the Empty Bowls Project benefiting the God's Kitchen food ministry. Cooks from a number of local restaurants -- including the River Inn, The Daily Grind, John's Bagels, Lucchese's, Old Style Deli, Heavenly Brew, Bear Creek Coffee, Bulldog Saloon and Rolling Scones -- provided the soup, and members of the Elkhart Art League crafted the bowls, which supporters took home for a $15 donation.
Motivated by an Oct. 11 New York Times story calling Elkhart " the white-hot center of the meltdown of the American economy," Granger blogger Amy Clark organized the "Big Give" help the Faith Mission of Elkhart.
Writing on momadvice.com, Clark observed that "I want to do something big for our local shelter. I want to give what I can to help the families who are not able to have a bright Christmas. I want them to have something to look forward to."
She put a Big Give banner on her home page and recorded a jump of 2,000 the first day. She's using the power of the Internet to make her hometown better.
And finally, the Elkhart County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is celebrating its 65 birthday this year. At its annual banquet Saturday, it presented life membership awards to Arvis Dawson, Creola Gary and Thomas L. Neat, as well as its President's Award to Tonda Hines, its Community Service award to John Hardy, and its Roy Wilkins Service Award and Membership Award to Aizemore Peete.