Susan Odom didn’t even think she would get to open her restaurant, Maw Maw’s Cornbread Kitchen, the morning of Sunday, March 16.

As day broke after tornadoes left paths of destruction throughout Alabama, including Daviston in Tallapoosa County, Odom kept logging into her security system at Maw Maw’s to see if the power was on.

She even posted a message on the restaurant’s Facebook page letting the community know she didn’t have power and couldn’t open.

That message was at 7:36 a.m. Odom logged back into the security system and power was back on. She posted again at 7:50 a.m. that she would indeed open.

“It had to be God’s blessing because each of the two houses on each side of my restaurant were still out,” Odom said.

Sundays are usually a busy day for Maw Maw’s Cornbread Kitchen. But Odom really wanted to open this particular Sunday to help feed those neighbors she knew had lost power and suffered damage from the storms.

Maw Maw’s fed many that day, and at 1:48 p.m., Odom got a call from Alabama Power.

The lineworkers who had been busily restoring power in the Horseshoe Bend area wanted to keep working to replace the eight broken poles. Could Odom provide 100 meals to feed them and allow them to keep working?

Alabama Power crews worked to quickly restore power after the deadly storms and tornadoes that swept through Alabama March 15. (Joey Blackwell / Alabama News Center)

It was 12 minutes before Maw Maw’s was supposed to close. Odom checked with her staff members to see if they were willing to stay and help feed the line crews. They were.

The next challenge was seeing if they had enough food. She said she could probably provide one piece of catfish and some French fries on each plate. Alabama Power agreed that would be fine.

Maw Maw’s Cornbread Kitchen ended up serving lineworkers more than fish and fries. (contributed)

But by the time the dishes were prepared, there ended up being two pieces of fish per plate, like some sort of New Testament multiplication miracle. In addition to the French fries, Maw Maw’s included hush puppies, fried okra and an assortment of desserts such as lemon meringue pie, chocolate meringue pie and caramel cake. She also included tea and ice as well as cups.

That Odom and the Maw Maw’s staff stepped up doesn’t surprise Matt Cotney, a distribution support manager for Alabama Power. Cotney frequents the restaurant and grew up in the area. His family’s property was among those damaged in the storm.

“This small community comes together after events like this to help each other,” Cotney said. “My family has lived here since the late 1800s, so it’s a special place to me. I’ve always told people there are more cows than people in this community, but our relationships and support are larger than most big cities.”

RELATED: Alabama Power works quickly to restore power after destructive tornadoes, storms

Odom even provided the meals at a cost lower than what Alabama Power was willing to pay.

“I really kind of hated to charge them anything, but I had to pay for the food and pay my workers,” she said.

The crews were able to eat a great meal and keep working, and Odom was happy she got to help those who had helped her.

“That day was all-in-all God’s work,” Odom said. “I did what God put into my heart to do. He let me open when nobody else was open. He let me feed those workers.”

That kind of outlook has come from years of experience for Odom.

After working at Russell Corp. for 30 years, Odom went to work at a restaurant where she learned the ropes and the owner even entrusted her to run the restaurant by herself from time to time.

Then doctors found an issue with her heart that required carotid artery surgery and a triple bypass.

By the time she recovered and was ready to return to work, the restaurant had replaced her, so Odom began searching for a site to open her own place. She found the building in Daviston and, after some work, Maw Maw’s Cornbread Kitchen was born.

October will mark 13 years for the restaurant and Odom would like to make it to year 15 before retiring.

She’s appreciative of it all.

“I have a business. I have some great workers,” she said. “I have some that have been with me since the day I opened.”

But Odom isn’t just the owner. You will find her at the restaurant doing whatever job needs to be done.

“I also play a big part in it,” she said. “I take up a spot and I work. I’m not just a boss.”

Cotney said he’s proud to work at Alabama Power, which values its relationships with its communities and the residents and businesses like Maw Maw’s that they serve.

“This is what Alabama small towns and businesses are about, and this is a great way for Alabama Power Company to support them.”