Faithforce: a Place of Healing
(Below is an excerpt of a blog post published in LinkedIn. Read the post in full here.)
In a small conference room across the street from Salesforce's looming San Francisco Tower, I broadcast a message during a vigil for the Easter massacre in Sri Lanka. A Sri Lankan employee sat next to me, off-camera, crying. Another employee sat across from me, head bowed and hands clasped in prayer. This is why Faithforce is here, I thought.
For the third time in six months, Salesforce held a vigil in the aftermath of faith-related attacks around the world. Hundreds of employees from different faith backgrounds (or no faith) paused their work and joined together to grieve and to learn. These vigils weren’t something Faithforce leaders had anticipated when we launched Faithforce in 2017. But they’ve become the beating heart of Faithforce and a testament to who Salesforce is.
When the Tree of Life Synagogue was attacked in Pittsburgh in October of 2018, employees from around Salesforce offered their support on Chatter, our internal communication tool, but many weren’t sure what else to do. A Jewish employee sent me an email with a simple, heartfelt request: “I want to make it known to our community that we support love and condemn hate.”
That kicked off a series of weekend emails across several teams and leaders, which resulted in the rapid decision to come together globally. But we wondered: what would a religious vigil look like at work? Could we invite a Rabbi?...
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About Faithforce: Faithforce champions faith diversity, inclusion, and allyship across Salesforce. They welcome people of all faiths, or none, to come together and cultivate a culture of empathy and belonging. For more information, watch Sue Warnke's presentation at the "Religious Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace" Symposium in July 2018.
About Sue Warnke: Sue Warnke is the Senior Director of Content Experience at Salesforce and the President of Faithforce San Francisco. She speaks around the country about leadership and interfaith diversity. Her comments are her own. See Leanership.org and other blogs for more of her stories.