COOPERSVILLE - The unstable economy has a lot of people trying to figure out where their next meal will come from, but a group called "Thanks a Million West Michigan" is hoping to change all that by sending hundreds of families home with their arms full.

Families stood in the parking lot of Coopersville Reformed Church for hours Saturday morning, waiting to fill their laundry baskets, grocery bags, and boxes with food. Bill Cooper founded "Thanks a Million West Michigan" with the idea that his mobile food pantry would encourage small communities to give back. "The real goal is planting seeds in individual communities throughout West Michigan," said Cooper.

Cooper got the idea from his wife who had a special gift on her birthday wish list. "A little over a year ago, I forgot one of my wife's birthday's, it was a birthday with a zero behind it, I said what would you like me to get you"? asked Cooper "I'll get you anything you want, she said I'd like you to get me a mobile food pantry."

Since then, Cooper has been driving his food truck all over West Michigan, from Ludington to Holland, feeding people like Mike Hudson, who is unemployed, and has a son to feed.

"I've never looked for help from anyone in my life and you get to a point where i'm on food stamps, and i'm not proud of it, but what do they give me, they give me like six bucks a month."

Volunteers and donors have helped serve close to 300,000 pounds of fresh food, like yogurt, produce, and juices.

For more information, or to access the "Thanks A Million West Michigan" Calendar, log onto www.thanksamillionwmi.com or call 866-668-2468