SAN DIEGO – The Agape Awards were established by the Philoptochos Society in 2008 to honor nine outstanding women – one from each Metropolis – for their philanthropic efforts during the National Philoptochos Convention that is held simultaneously with the biennial Clergy-Laity Congress.

It has since expanded to also spotlight specific chapters across the United States. Since the pandemic of 2020, the Awards have also highlighted leadership, innovation, resilience, and resourcefulness in sustaining philanthropic endeavors in the face of challenges, said Arlene Siavelis-Kehl, the National President of the Philoptochos Society.

His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate, offered the invocation, and high school student, and member of the St. Spyridon Youth Choir in San Diego, Teadora Brown, kicked off the presentation of awards with a vocal performance.

The event was attended by the other Patriarchal Representative, His Eminence Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, their Eminences Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, and hierarchs of the Holy Eparchial Synod.

At the close of the Agape breakfast, entrepreneur and philanthropist John Catsimatidis made a generous donation of $5,000 to each of the nine winners.