Coopersville cares — and its community feels it  - Feeding America West Michigan

Coopersville cares — and its community feels it 

• By Ashley Randolph
Mobile pantry volunteer at Church of the Savior in Coopersville smiling in front of a line of cars and holding bags of potatoes.
Mobile pantry volunteer at Church of the Savior in Coopersville smiling in front of a line of cars and holding bags of potatoes.
Volunteers load thousands of pounds of nutritious food from a Feeding America West Michigan truck to the vehicles of Coopersville neighbors.

When an abundance of factors create food insecurity for their neighbors in Ottawa County, volunteers like those from Coopersville Cares at Church of the Saviour in Coopersville are showing up for their community in a big way. The mobile food pantry at Church of the Saviour and its volunteers pride themselves on an efficient and thoughtful distribution that keeps their neighbors top of mind. 

Not only do volunteers have a solid and cheerful rapport with every visitor, but they’ve organized the distribution in such a way as to improve the flow of the overall process.  

Lines of cars waiting at a mobile food pantry in Coopersville.
Coopersville neighbors line up in cars in the parking lot of Church of the Saviour to pick up food resources at local mobile food pantry. 

Neighbors who turn to the mobile food distribution for help had only positive things to say about the distribution and how it’s run as a whole.  

Neighbor David, a retired senior in attendance, has struggled to survive off of Social Security alone since before the COVID-19 epidemic. He believes this Coopersville Cares distribution should be the model for all mobile food pantries.  

“I’ve been very satisfied with it,” he said. “Once everything’s all set up, they get you moving through and that moves pretty rapidly. It’s a nice assortment and it’s always nice to get some of the fresh items.”

Senior food insecurity in Ottawa County 

David’s story represents one of many seniors in Ottawa County who are experiencing food insecurity. It isn’t uncommon for a large number of seniors in a community to find themselves frequently turning to mobile food pantries in order to supplement their meals or help stretch their existing budget. In 2024, 1 in 5 of the individuals who attended mobiles food pantries in Ottawa County were seniors. As a result, David and other seniors are grateful for the resources provided by the presence of these monthly mobile food pantries — and for the individuals who make these resources possible through donations and grants.  

“Thank you,” he said. “If you can afford it, you’re providing a good service for things that people need. This program really does help.” 

A mobile food pantry volunteer gathering snap peas to put in neighbors' cars.
One of several volunteers at Church of the Saviour mobile gathers snap peas to place in neighbors’ cars. 

At their recent distribution, volunteers swiftly loaded up neighbors’ cars with a variety of nutritious foods including pasta, apples, potatoes, granola, oranges, pears, peas, and peppers. In total, nearly 6,000 pounds of food went out to supplement the pantries of more than 100 households. Grants from organizations like the Coopersville Community Foundation help make critical programs like the mobile food pantries possible, so neighbors of all ages can continue to receive the nutrition they need to thrive.