College graduates credit Marco community for helping them make ends meet

Months of an island getaway in quarantine turned out to be lifesaving for two recent college graduates.

Two young women lost their jobs during the pandemic and had no choice but to go home to stay safe during the pandemic. Making ends meet there was the challenge.

At the onset of the pandemic, best friends Rosanne Nelan and Bebes Kravitz visited Southwest Florida to stay at Nelan’s family house on Marco Island to escape.

“It was supposed to be just two weeks,” Nelan said.

“It was really difficult at first because,” Kravitz said. “I didn’t really know what to do.”

The two were fresh out of college.

“My plan after was to travel to different parts of Asia, like Indonesia and Vietnam,” Kravitz said.

It coincided with the outbreak of the coronavirus, so they had to adjust.

“And I started running out of money, you know,” Nelan said. “I needed to work to pay for my rent in Miami and student loans too.”

The two friends got jobs working for grocery delivery services on Marco Island.

“It was the perfect job that I needed, and it was so incredible to meet all of the people that I met along the way too,” Nelan said.

Nelan says the people of Marco helped them make ends meet with generous tips and kindness.

“It was really beautiful to know that people were looking out for me, and I was helping looking out for them,” Nelan said. “It was amazing.”

Although life now is nothing like they expected, they’re grateful.

Nelan now has a job in Miami but works remotely from Marco. Kravitz moved back home to New York and is still looking for something permanent.

“My plans have changed so many times this year,” Kravitz said. “It’s crazy.”