The Austin Fund, established by the Rev. Deacon Marilyn Walters in honor of her parents, William Edward and Martha Holtzclaw Austin, is intended to provide resources to serve senior adults (age 55 or older) who are medically certified Dementia or Alzheimer’s patients of limited means who reside within Polk County and/or a 15 mile radius of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross (150 Melrose Avenue in Tryon, N.C. 28782).

Referrals to the fund must be made by the patient’s personal physician, the social services director of St. Luke’s Hospital in Columbus, the director of Polk County Department of Social Services, the director of Thermal Belt Outreach in Columbus, the director of Senior Adult Services (The Meeting Place) of Polk County or the director of Polk Life Care, Columbus, certifying the specific need and the patient and/or the patient’s family is unable to provide the resource themselves. A review board will evaluate all requests.

The general public is invited to contribute to this fund. One hundred percent of the Austin Fund corpus, interest gained, and all subsequent contributions made to it go directly to the aid of those persons described above. There are no associated administrative fees on the fund. All contributions are tax deductible.

Contributions may be made to Holy Cross Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 279, Tryon, NC 28782 with it being noted as for The Austin Fund. Contributions may be made as gifts, honoraria or memorials and notifications will be sent to the honoree or survivors as may be desired by the contributor.

– article submitted by Rev. Dr. Michael Doty