The spread of coronavirus has presented many new challenges to people all over the world, forcing us all to adapt and adjust to a new way of life.

One of the common issues in many countries is that a lot of people, especially those who are old and vulnerable, don’t have easy access to the groceries and supplies they need.

Fortunately, good people have tried to find ways to help their vulnerable neighbors, and over in Venice, Italy, some inspiring female rowers have even set up their own gondola grocery delivery service!

Row Venice is a female owned and operated non-profit organization, with a team of more than a dozen rowers striving to preserve Venetian culture.

In normal times, they offer rowing lessons and experiences for tourists and locals alike, but since the coronavirus began to spread and folks were forced to stay indoors, they decided to adapt their approach, using their skills in a whole new way.

Now, instead of welcoming folks on board their gondolas and showing them around the city, they’re stocking up with boxes and baskets of groceries to take around to elderly and vulnerable people around the area.

When the lockdown began, the Row Venice ladies hoped that it would all be over quite quickly, so stayed safely at home, using their own rowing exercise equipment to stay in shape.

Many of them are competitive athletes, taking part in rowing races and events, and they wanted to stay safe and keep their fitness levels up before the racing season kicked off.

Now, however, it looks like all the races are going to be canceled, and as time went by, the women realized that they could be putting their talents to use for the community.

With newly-restored gondolas simply sitting around in the marinas, not being used, and so many talented, athletic rowers stuck indoors, feeling like they could be doing more, the Row Venice team decided to start helping local people.

They knew that a lot of locals were placing orders with small, organic produce companies, but deliveries were being delayed and many people were struggling to get by with what little food they had.

So Row Venice offered up its services to the companies, volunteering to deliver their orders for free.

On their official website, the women say that their work so far has been “extremely rewarding”, adding that they’re “happy to be of service”.

They say that the locals have been very happy and grateful to receive their orders in such a way, with many getting their groceries delivered right to their doors, or simply picking them up from a set collection point.

It’s a really clever idea, and the Row Venice team say they’ve never seen Venice looking so “spectacular and tranquil” as it does right now, without hordes of tourists and busy canals.

They hope that their efforts can be a kind of silver lining during this difficult period, as well as suggesting that their eco-friendly, zero impact supply system could potentially carry on, even after the crisis passes.

Be sure to watch the video below to learn more about what the Row Venice rowers are doing and see some amazing footage of Venice in its purest form.

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Source: Row Venice YouTube, Row Venice Instagram, RowVenice.org