Paulding County Teen Donates 4-H Turkeys to the Caring & Sharing Food Pantry

4-Her Adalyn Miller of Oakwood raised a small flock of turkeys to donate to the Caring & Sharing Food Pantry in May.

Adalyn Miller, age 12, set a great example this spring based on this old adage: “When you have more than you need, build a longer table not a higher fence.” And she did just that.

In February, the Oakwood teen learned that the Paulding County 4-H poultry projects were cancelled for 2025 due to avian influenza, a decision made by OSU Extension Office and the Senior and Junior Fair Boards. 

But Adalyn decided to raise her turkeys anyway and take others into her flock from fellow 4-Hers. She planned to donate them to the Caring & Sharing Food Pantry in Paulding.

“There were a lot of turkeys that were just going to go to waste,” said Adalyn. In the past, her school and family had contributed to food drives for the pantry that serves Paulding County, so she wanted the turkeys to end up there. 

She worked hard and put in a lot of chore time to care for the birds. At the same time, she was raising two dairy beef feeders, named Fred and Buckeye Pete, to show at the Paulding County Fair starting June 7.

The turkeys were donated and produced enough meat for the pantry to share with over 30 households. 

“This was a special gift,” said Jodi Schneider, executive director at the pantry. “Adalyn cared for these animals until they were ready for us. That was a generous donation of hours as well as food, and we greatly appreciate her for it.” 

The Caring & Sharing Food Pantry supports Paulding County residents who are experiencing food insecurity. Eligible Paulding County residents can visit the pantry twice per month, and each time, they receive three days of food. During the first five months of 2025, the pantry served 1,305 households, a 30 percent increase from the same period in 2024.

The food available at the pantry comes from individuals, organizations and growers from around the county, as well as food drives, bulk purchases made from a variety of resources, and a partnership with West Ohio Food Bank. If you’d like to donate food or money to the pantry, please call (419) 399-9562 or send an email to info@caresharepantry.org.

For more information about the pantry, volunteer opportunities and fundraising activities, follow the Caring & Sharing Food Pantry on Facebook.