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Eldon Sloan, a member of Grace Cathedral, Topeka, for 64 years, celebrated his 100th birthday in March.

A centenary celebration

Eldon Sloan celebrated his 100th birthday with a special party on March 29 provided by Grace Cathedral, Topeka.

A regular attender at the 10:30 a.m. service on Sundays, Sloan has been a member of the parish since his confirmation there in 1935, a year after his wedding in the cathedral’s chapel to his late wife, Harriett.

The Sloans donated the large Resurrection window in the cathedral in 1984, and last year he contributed funds in memory of his wife to renovate the Sunday school rooms into an innovative recreation of a first century market. That area now is called Sloan Hall.

And the award goes to...

Several members of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas have been recognized with awards in recent months, all honoring an aspect of their ministry that in many cases has had an impact on the wider community.

The Rev. Ron Reed

Reed will be recognized as an “Apostle in Stewardship” by The Episcopal Network for Stewardship. Reed, who is rector of St. Paul’s, Kansas City, is a former staff officer for stewardship for the Episcopal Church.

The award, which will be given during a TENS luncheon July 12 at General Convention, honors Reed and three others “who have uniquely and significantly influenced the ministry of stewardship in the Episcopal Church.”

Reed will be one of only 14 people to have received this distinction since the award was first given in 2000.

Julie Marcus

Marcus, a member of St. Michael’s, Mission, was named Volunteer of the Year by Episcopal Community Services at an appreciation dinner on May 1.

Marcus is the founder of the Breakfast at St. Paul’s program, which served its first meal on March 14, 1998. She has led this important ministry — which provides a hot breakfast to people in need on Saturday mornings at St. Paul’s, Kansas City — since its inception except for a period when she attended law school.

Because of her leadership and the dedication of the program’s many volunteers, a Saturday morning breakfast has never been cancelled in its 11 years.

Fran Wheeler

Wheeler and her parish, St. Aidan’s, Olathe, were recognized April 24 by the Olathe Human Relations Commission —Wheeler received the Humanitarian Award, and the parish’s BackSnack program was honored with the Organization Award.

Wheeler heads St. Aidan’s BackSnack program, which provides weekend backpacks of food for elementary school children in need. The Olathe parish serves nearly 250 students in five area schools.

The program in the Kansas City area is a joint effort of Episcopal Community Services and the Harvesters food bank.

Phyllis Cunningham

Phyllis Cunningham, a member of Ascension, Neodesha, was named the Assisted Living Nurse of the Year April 29 by the Kansas Health Care Association and Kansas Center for Assisted Living, nonprofit trade associations representing nearly 200 health care facilities in Kansas.

Cunningham currently serves residents at Neodesha’s Vintage Park facility, but she has 35 years experience as a nurse, administrator and facility owner.

Deacon Gail Reynolds

Reynolds was a finalist for Volunteer of the Year with the St. Luke’s Health System of Kansas City. Reynolds, who serves at St. Paul’s, Kansas City, has volunteered as a reserve chaplain at St. Luke’s South Hospital since it opened in 1998. She assists the resident chaplain with pastoral calls and Episcopal services at the facility.