Katie Biddle, NOAH member and Program Director of the Dr. Robert L. A. Keeley Healing Arts Program at Carilion Clinic in Virginia, was inspired to start the “Bells of Hope” initiative to honor their healthcare workers in Southwest Virginia after a weekly NOAH Creative Response Forum. She invites other organizations to join in this effort that will continue indefinitely. Read on for more about this story from the Healing Arts Program:
“The Dr. Robert L. A. Keeley Healing Arts Program at Carilion Clinic is working with Carilion Community Outreach to spread the word about “Bells of Hope” (#BellsofHope), an effort to honor all health care workers in Southwest Virginia who are continuing their important work at this challenging time.
This project is especially relevant for our healthcare system, whose name, Carilion, is based on an instrument – the carillon. This large instrument, usually housed in a tower, consists of twenty-three or more bells that play together in harmony. The underlying metaphor is that of “working together in harmony.”
We are asking that the community serve as our carillon during this time. All establishments in our community that have working bell towers or the capacity to safely ring bells out of doors are being asked to participate. They will ring their bells for one minute at shift change each day – 7a.m. and 7p.m. Community members are encouraged, as they hear the bells ringing, to send out a thought, intention, prayer, or energy of gratitude for our health care workers.
In certain areas across our region, the bells may be heard ringing synchronously over a wide area. We hope our health care workers will experience the ringing and be reminded of the community’s gratitude and support of their work.
This effort began today — Monday, March 23 and will continue indefinitely.”
Here is a short video about the project: