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Finding meals for children in Virginia may be as easy as sending a text.

People who want to make sure children are eating during COVID-19 school closures can text "food" or "comida" in order to find places near them that offer meals.

RICHMOND, Va. — Several groups are offering meals to children who are out of school because of mandatory COVID-19 closures. 

School divisions were among the first to come up with plans to distribute breakfast and lunch to children. Many cities and counties have programs separate from their respective school divisions. Community groups also stepped up to ensure that students are getting meals.

During one of his coronavirus updates, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam reminded everyone of two simple words that could help families find other resources for children's meals: "food" and "comida."

By texting either word to 877877, people will get a response in English or Spanish, respectively, that will prompt them  to enter their address.

After a person enter's an address, he/she will receive a list of locations near them where they can get meals for children.

The food service is offered through f No Hungry Kid Virginia, which is part of the No Kid Hungry national campaign that's run by Share Our Strength. The nonprofit group works to solve problems of hunger and poverty in the Unite States and around the world.

People are able to use the texting system year-round, but because of the prolonged period of time that students will be out of school (through the end of the current academic year), the resource seemed especially relevant.

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