Hershey’s chocolate features Beacon teams in “Heartwarming the World” campaign

It’s not every day you get recognized by an iconic brand with a long-standing household name for the incredible work you are doing and the way you connect with your hospital’s patients and your colleagues.

Sarah Samson, right, with RN Valisa Harlan.

Hershey’s Chocolate is now featuring Beacon Health System as one of its ‘Heartwarming the World’ stories that depicts real people and real interactions with a piece of Hershey’s chocolate. Click here to watch the video on Hershey’s YouTube channel.

Late last year, Hershey’s discovered the story of Sarah Samson, our long-time Memorial chaplain who boosted the morale of coworkers during the pandemic by handing out miniature Hershey’s bars. Social distancing prevented Sarah from giving hugs. But she found that by sharing chocolate, she could still personally connect with our teams when they needed comfort and kindness more than ever.

Sarah went one step further, too. She taped a ‘dad joke’ to each Hershey’s bar. While masking made it difficult to see people smile, Sarah loved to hear associates laugh at the humorous one-liners. She continued sharing chocolate bars with associates across the hospital even after the worst of COVID was behind us.

Hershey’s chose Sarah’s story from across the country as part of its mission to ‘Heartwarm the world.’ In late November, a video crew visited South Bend and shadowed Sarah as she interacted and connected with NICU and Pediatrics nurses, staff and patient families — with chocolate in hand — at Beacon Children’s Hospital.

No actors, no scripts. It was just us showing the world who we are.

Sarah says it all ties into our Beacon Health System mission: to deliver outstanding care, inspire health and connect with heart.

Sarah Samson and RN Laramie James.

“Working in healthcare is tough, and moments of encouragement and joy can be hard to find, so we have to create as much joy as we can. Chocolate and laughter can help with that on so many levels,” Sarah says. “As a chaplain, I support the staff as much as the patients and their families, so I jump at the opportunity to bring them a smile. I’m honored Hershey’s is sharing our story.”

The video has already garnered more than 3,000 views on YouTube.

“Sarah’s story is one of many Hershey’s Heartwarming stories that have been captured since 2018 and continue to harness the power and connections that can be made through a simple piece of Hershey’s chocolate,” says Anna Lingeris, a spokeswoman for Hershey’s. “Sarah’s unique ability to light up a room through a touch of sweetness and a bit of humor is unforgettable.”

Click photo to view video.