The cries for help did not go unheard.

Less than a week after the Community Soup Kitchen closed its doors, a new provider is giving hot meals away to those in need.

The Quality of Life Association — QUOLA — opened its own soup kitchen Tuesday on Florida Avenue. It will serve meals 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the Community Soup Kitchen. With a dwindling and aging staff, they have served the community nearly 50 years by providing food to people who needed help. County Manager Paige Dukes said the soup kitchen board made the decision to close “with a heavy heart,” and we believe it. The dedication required to serve so well for so long leaves a mark on the soul. It’s hard to give it up.

The Book of Ecclesiastes tells us “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven …” Sadly, it was time for the Community Soup Kitchen to end.

But joyfully, it was also time for a beginning. QUOLA had been considering for about three months whether to open a food bank or a soup kitchen. The closing of the Community Soup Kitchen made the decision obvious.

On Tuesday QUOLA was rewarded with the gratitude of the people who came for sustenance.

Let us hope the new soup kitchen can serve as long as the Community Soup Kitchen did, even as we work to reduce the need for their services.