BOARDMAN — For Boardman 4-H’er Theresa Laverock, the coronavirus has changed the way she is handling her projects for 2020. It hasn’t changed her drive to get those projects completed though.

Theresa, 14, daughter of Dave, Nancy and Megan Laverock, has been a member of the 3D’s 4-H Club for the past five years. She attends Boardman Glenwood Junior High School and has earned several first-place county awards at past fairs, and a trip to the state fair twice with her projects. Last year, she won first place for sewing at the state fair.

This year, Laverock is working on four projects. The first is first aid, where she must show how to care for someone in an emergency and how to make a first-aid kit.

Her laundry project deals with different methods of stain removal and how different soaps do different things.

A cooking project Laverock selected to do deals with learning about and making foods from different regions that are passed down and end up influencing today’s foods.

Her final project is in home living and involves how to put different colors, shapes and designs together to make over a room.

The biggest challenge for Laverock has been obtaining what she needs to complete these projects.

“We have to use the Internet a lot more due to stores closing,” she said. “I have been using the resources and supplies we already have and using online shopping as an advantage.”

All four projects are the type judged at this year’s small projects judging on July 13. While the judging event has not been canceled at this point, 4-H Educator Beth Smith is preparing for a virtual judging platform.

Laverock said it should not be a problem. Normally the judging involves sitting in front of an adult who has knowledge of specific 4-H project subjects. For the 4-H member, it means speaking on the project and answering all questions asked by the judge.

As for doing a virtual judging, Laverock said, “It’s still face-to-face judging just not in person so it takes the same amount of preparation as normal.”

The 4-H representatives for the Ohio State Fair are chosen at the local event.

As with every 4-H member, a community project is always expected. Laverock decided she would help out in the coronavirus fight.

“We made a ‘mat of love’ for the homeless and we’ve made face masks for people in our church, the restaurant my grandma works at, and for our family,” she said.

Her club normally meets at Calvary United Methodist Church in North Lima, but the stay-at-home orders have prevented the meetings, which is something she misses.

“Yes I miss it, because we can’t have the interaction and do the activities with other group members as we normally would.” She said. “Also our group is like an extended family so it’s hard for a lot of us to not be able to see each other.”

jtwhitehouse@tribtoday.com