Girls Taco Bell Wi-Fi, More than $130K raised for California family

 Girls Taco Bell Wi-Fi, More than $130K raised for California family.

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."

The district, which has just under 8,500 students, is in full distance learning mode, according to Gebin. School officials have already distributed 8,245 Chromebooks and 1,500 hotspots and are now waiting for 2,500 additional hotspots to be delivered.

Jackie Lopez said she started a fundraising campaign for the family after learning the family was going to be evicted from their home, according to a GoFundMe. The fundraiser has since raised more than $130,000 and the family is working with an accountant to manage the funds.