More than $130,000 has been raised for a family in California after a photo of two young girls using the free WiFi in a Taco Bell parking lot to complete their school work went viral last week.

In the photo, two girls can be seen sitting on the sidewalk outside a Taco Bell in Salinas, California, working on laptops as an employee crouches down in front of them. The faces of the girls in the photo are obscured, but the Salinas City Elementary School District identified the students after the photo began to circulate and “immediately provided the family with a hotspot,” Richard Gebin, public relations officer for the district, told USA TODAY.

“The digital divide is very real and delays in receiving needed technology are a statewide concern,” Amy Ish, president of the Salinas City Elementary School District, said in a statement. “We are grateful the State is making technology a priority and look forward to receiving these hotspots in our District.”

Read More →