Rachel Fisher is excited to be a part of President Bill Perry’s goals for the university.

After Perry announced his priorities for Eastern in January, the student affairs department started the student community service office to address one of Perry’s priorities – enhancing service and leadership opportunities.

Fisher will serve as the interim director of the new community service office.

“I’m thrilled I got this chance to be a part of something great for EIU,” Fisher said.

Fisher was hired in July and started Aug. 1. She has been at Eastern for the past four years, including graduate school, and previously worked at the Health Education Resource Center as the health communication and marketing specialist for teen outreach.

Fisher’s job is to connect students who live on and off campus with organizations in the local community.

This office allows students to look for community service opportunities.

“I work for the students, and my mission is to continue finding new opportunities in the spirit to serve,” Fisher said.

Daniel Nadler, vice president for student affairs, said students are active in the area of community service.

Nadler said during the next five years Eastern’s goal is to double the number of volunteer hours students are performing in the community.

“Having an office will allow us to develop a clearinghouse and promote service opportunities throughout our entire community,” Nadler said.

Some non-profit organizations Fisher currently works with are Teen Reach, Habitat for Humanity, Newman Catholic Center, Special Olympics and the American Red Cross.

She said her goals for her position are to connect students with community service and to create an Eastern natural disaster relief team.

“My job is to enhance and build upon what’s happening and contribute to the greater picture,” Fisher said.

Linda Moore, director of Career Services, said she believes community service is important because employers want to see a couple of characteristics of a person.

“One characteristic is multi-tasking,” Moore said.

Moore said employers are looking for people who can be involved with other than classes and one opportunity is community service.

“They want to see people serving others and that shows what morals they have in the work place,” Moore said.

She added employers look at 65 percent of what personal morals a student has and only 35 percent of his or her technical qualifications.

“That shows during college to build a résumé that shows those characteristics,” Moore said. “And community cleaning allows students to show they are engaged to help others.”

Fisher said she likes the way Eastern has more than 150 organizations on campus and at least 20 of them are strictly service groups.

She would like Eastern students to complete 100,000 hours of service, she added.

“I’m here to put the pieces together and help cultivate the spirit to serve,” Fisher said.

Fisher is also required to educate people who are not from the Charleston area about service.

Fisher, who has lived in Los Angeles and Atlanta, said she has to introduce more than 12,000 students to Charleston and Mattoon, along with surrounding communities.

The community service office has announced its first monthly project. On National Neighbor Day, Sept. 21, Fisher, students and faculty will conduct a neighborhood trash clean-up activity.

“Good Neighbors exists to help cultivate civic responsibility and community ownership,” Fisher said. “Your residence plays a part in the community, and living off-campus requires that residents participate in their communities.”

Fisher said this allows students to make relationships with long-term Charleston residents.

“The idea there is nothing to do in Charleston is crazy,” Fisher said.

Fisher’s office has created a website for students to blog about their experiences with service as a way to get other students involved. Students will also be allowed to log hours of community service. The website will spotlight two students a month, and they will receive a gift bag.

“Truly what you put in is what you get and being EIU is to commit to EIU and serve,” Fisher said.

Nadler said he feels fortunate to have Fisher be a part of the new office.

“She has the knowledge, background and energetic can-do attitude to make a significant difference,” Nadler said.

Brittni Garcia can be reached at 581-7942 or at bmgarcia@eiu.edu.

Rachel Fisher, the interm director of the Student Community Service Office, stands in her new office within the Student Life Office Tuesday. (Eric Hiltner/The Daily Eastern News)

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