Students taking Intro to Social Work with Dr. Stephen Baldridge, director of the bachelors of social work program, are working to raise money during the month of March for the Heroes for the American Red Cross program.

The goal of the Heroes for the American Red Cross campaign is to raise money and awareness for disaster relief locally by asking people in the community to pledge to raise a minimum of $1,000 during the month of March, according to the Red Cross website.

“I presented it to the class, and they thought it was a great idea, and so as extra incentive I put them in two different teams and I challenged them to raise $1,000,” Baldridge said. “If the class raises the money, whoever’s team raises the most gets an automatic 100 on the final. If the class can raise $2,000 they all get an automatic 100 on the final.”

He is encouraging his class to come up with some creative ways their teams can raise money. He also encourages students who are not in his class to find out how they can get involved in the Heroes program as well.

The Abilene Area chapter of the Red Cross serves twelve counties in Abilene and the surrounding area, including Callahan, Eastland, Haskell and several other counties by providing disaster relief services, health and safety services, volunteer services, services for international or displaced people and services for military personnel and their families.

“We have about 150 home fires per year in Abilene, and the Red Cross goes out and they work with those families, providing them temporary housing, clothes, food and stuff like that, and it averages about $1,000 to $2,000 per family,” said Baldridge.

Anyone can get involved with the Heroes campaign in town by going to americanredcross.org/heroes and finding the Abilene Chapter, which has several teams students can donate to, or by contacting anyone in the school of social work.