Saket Soni: The workers rebuilding communities after natural disasters

The workers rebuilding communities after natural disasters

As climate change leads to more and more natural disasters, a group of workers is showing up at one site after another to rebuild and repair. Labor organizer Saket Soni tells the stories of Resilience Force — the group of mostly immigrant workers restoring homes after hurricanes, floods and fires — and describes the unexpected bonds developing between the residents whose lives have been turned upside down and the laborers helping put things back together.

The resilience workforce, made up mostly of immigrants, travels from disaster to disaster rebuilding homes and lives after hurricanes, floods, and fires. Many of these workers are themselves displaced, yet their efforts spark unexpected bonds with local residents—even in places marked by fear and division. In one striking example, a family took down a sign threatening 'strangers will be shot' after workers rebuilt their home and became dinner guests. Out of shared vulnerability, these unlikely connections lay the groundwork for renewed democracy and community purpose.