Jackson, MS Star Trek fan club gives back to its community

Star Trek fan clubs number in the hundreds if not more around the world. 

And more are popping up as the new series gain more traction throughout the galaxy. And while the club members usually get together once a month or so to discuss their favorite series and/or episodes, there is one club in particular, the Jackson, MS based Star Trek fan club, that is making a difference in its community while honoring what Trek is all about.

Ryan Case, a member of both the Starfleet International Star Trek Fan Association Inc. and a member of the U.S.S. Haise chapter in Jackson, MS told Mississippi Free Press that the thing he liked most about Star Trek was that “it makes humanity aspire towards that vision of man working together for the betterment of everybody.  There’s no conflict in accepting people for who they are.”

And the Jackson chapter has taken this credo to heart and continually raises money for various causes, including multiple scleroris and Toys for Toys. Most recently, it donated over $300 in gift cards for groceries and supplies to The McCoy House of Jackson, a women’s addiction-recovery center.

The Jackson, MS Star Trek fan club has had a powerful impact with its recent donation.

McCoy House Chief Operating Officer Elizabeth Stoltzfus told Mississippi Free Press that the women who come to McCoy house have been through inpatient treatment for alcohol or drug abuse. They need a fresh environment, a place to come to get back on their feet, and that’s what McCoy House offers.

Patients stay with the center for approximately ninety days and that means a lot of groceries and other household items are constantly needed which is why the U.S.S. Haise’s recent donation has made so big of an impact.

"“That donation makes a lot of impact,. We’re able to buy groceries (and) household supplies like toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, coffee. It’s a blessing because that’s stuff we have to buy every month.”"

People working together to help one another. That’s what Gene Roddenberry envisioned for a better future when he created this franchise. The U.S.S. Haise is already one step ahead in its committment to build the future that really can exist one day.