A viral photo of two young girls who were sitting outside of the Taco bell using the free WiFi for their homework was able to raise more than $130,000 in an online campaign.
To help the family of two young girls, who were sitting outside the taco bell in California to use the free WiFi for their homework, netizens were able to raise more than $130,000 donations.
The photo of two young girls was shared on Instagram last week, and it had been going viral since then. The picture is kind of depicting the reality of the digital divide between wealthy and low-income families during the pandemic.
The representative of the Salinas City Elementary School District confirmed that the girls are from their district, and they have provided them with the wireless hotspots.
Jackie Lopez, a Salinas resident, made a donation page on Sunday to help the family, the target was $20,000, and by Tuesday, they were able to get more than $132,000 donations.
In the description, she said that the mother of the girls is a migrant worker, and she works every day without any break so that she can earn a few more dollars to provide her daughters.
Jackie Lopez learned that Juana, the mother of girls is a single mother, and they are facing eviction from the rented room. Jackie Lopez said they need more than just the internet. She also said that thanks to donations, she was able to put together enough money to will help the family with necessities.
She said that to follow up on the situation, on Monday she has talked with the accountant, who was hired to help Juana manage her funds, she will be able to withdraw her money the next day.
The picture of these two girls was originally shared by Ms_Mamie89, the user said that those two girls were looking for the WiFi to do their homework, and they sat down outside Taco bell near the dumpster, where they were able to connect free WiFi. They took out their notebooks and laptops to complete their homework.
In August, many schools across the country have started the class virtually, where students are taking their class via computer screens. The school districts are asking families to contact the school Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm if they are facing problems with the internet and distance learning.