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DOWAGIAC — Every morning for the past two years, Kailee Curtis wakes up to work the morning shift at the Dowagiac Marathon gas station that she owns with her husband, Mir Razvi.

Each time she does, she serves parents with school-aged children, who are always hungry for a donut or a pancake, and each time she serves one, her heart grows fonder for the families who visit her store.

So, when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday night that all schools in the state would be closed until April 5, potentially leaving local children without access to their regular meals, Curtis knew she had to act.

“I laid in bed all night thinking about it,” she said. “I saw people posting on Facebook, wondering how they were going to feed their kids. I felt so bad.”

Starting this week, Curtis’ Dowagiac Marathon gas station, 801 Spruce St., will be offering free breakfasts to children during the mandated school shutdown. Meals will be provided from 7 to 10 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 9 to 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Since Curtis posted about the breakfasts on Facebook Sunday morning, her post has been shared more than 600 times.

“Since I already cook food during the day, I thought, ‘why don’t I make pancakes for the kids, and they can have them for free,’” Curtis said. “I don’t want parents to have to go searching for food, especially since the stores are going completely dry right now.”

Growing up, Curtis relied on school breakfasts and lunches to get through the week. Coming from a low-income family of eight, she still remembers how difficult it was to get by when school was out.

Now that she is older and has a store where she can provide food, she said she is happy to use her position to help others, especially children.

“I feel for the children because I have been in that situation,” she said. “I’m never going to let someone go hungry.”

Though she did not solicit donations online, Curtis said her customers are bringing them in anyways, donating both money and food items to help her serve the children in the coming weeks. She said anyone willing to give could visit the gas station, which is open 24/7.

Curtis is not the only person in Dowagiac ensuring children get fed during the school shutdown. The schools themselves have taken to offering free breakfast and lunch meals. Dowagiac Union Schools will be visiting several locations Monday through Friday to provide children 18 years old or younger with a take-away lunch and a breakfast meal, which is meant to be eaten the next morning.

Superintendent Jonathan Whan said providing meals was nothing more than continuing a service that is implemented during the regular school year. He added that roughly 70 percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunches, which means that it is a valuable service to provide.

“For many of our families, [school provided meals] are a big part of their meals,” Whan said. “Now, they are looking to find childcare, so there is an added cost there. They were already on fixed incomes, and there are families whose employment may be affected, so it’s going to be an additional financial burden on them if we are not able to do this program. This is a program that already existed, was already built into our budget, and is going to serve our students. I see it as a win-win.”

Dowagiac Union Schools will provide meals at the following locations and times:

• Twin Lakes Park: 11 to 11:30 a.m.

• Riverside Apartments: 11 to 11:30 a.m.

• Sister Lakes Community Church: 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

• Dowagiac District Library: 11: 30 a.m. to noon

• Water Tower Park: noon to 12:30 p.m.

• Indian Hills Apartments: 12:30 to 1 p.m.

• Justus Gage Playground: 12:30 to 1 p.m.

• Dowagiac Union High School Auto Shop: 1 to 1:30 p.m.

• ACTION Ministries: 1 to 1:30 p.m.

• Eagle Wood Apartments: 1:30 to 2 p.m.

• Vineyard Place Apartments: 1:30 to 2 p.m.

• Walter Ward Park: 2 to 2: 30 p.m.

Other school districts in neighboring Berrien County are also offering meals to students throughout school closure.

Brandywine Community Schools will provide free meals to children 18 years old and younger until April 5. The district will provide “Grab-N-Go” bags containing seven days’ worth of breakfast and lunch meals. To register, call (269) 683-4800, ext. 3208.

Buchanan Community Schools are offering lunch packs, along with a breakfast snack for the next day, Monday through Friday to all students 18 years old or younger. Students can pick up meals at the following times daily:

• Buchanan High School, Tennis Court Parking Lot: 11 a.m. 12:30 p.m.

• Ottawa School Bus Stop: 11 to 11:25 a.m.

• Moccasin School Bus Stop: 11:35 to noon

• Victory Park Bus Stop: 12:10 to 12:30 p.m.

• Stark School Bus Stop: 11:15 to 11:40 p.m.

• Rynearson Apartments: 11:50 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

• Hill’s Haven: 11 to 11:30 a.m.

• Riverside Estates: 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Niles Community Schools will offer breakfast and lunch today through April 3. Meals will be available via pick up Monday through Friday, with weekend meals available for pick up Friday. Ballard Elementary will also have dinner and breakfast service available.

Students can pick up meals at the following times daily:

• Niles YMCA: 11 a.m. to noon

• Niles District Library: 11 a.m. to noon

• Howard-Ellis Elementary: 11 a.m. to noon

• Northside Child Development Center: 11 a.m. to noon

• Niles High School: 11 a.m. to noon

• Niles Administration Center: 11 a.m. to noon

• Ballard Elementary: 5:30 to 6:15 p.m.