VHA is excited to welcome another member of our 2025–2026 VISTA cohort, Nathan Niyen, who is serving as the Development Coordinator VISTA with Renovation Alliance in Roanoke.
About Nathan:
Nathan Niyen is from Urbandale, Iowa. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Iowa State University. During his time there, he developed an interest in immigration and the psychology behind it. He became curious about why people move and how they adapt to new societies. These ideas motivated him to pursue a master’s degree in sociology to deepen his understanding of immigration. He is working on his master’s thesis about African immigrants and how U.S. immigration laws affect them.
He is currently exploring where his journey will lead him. He wants to work in immigration but is unsure of the specific area, whether it is policy, law, activism, or research. This year with the AmeriCorps VISTA program has opened his eyes to many different opportunities he can pursue.
Project:
Nathan is currently serving as the Development Coordinator VISTA with Renovation Alliance in Roanoke, Virginia. One of his key projects is recording interviews with low-income homeowners that Renovation Alliance has helped through their home repair program, which provides critical and necessary home repairs, free of charge, to homeowners in need across the Roanoke Valley. One of his interviews included a grandmother who needed her porch and heating system fixed, which was causing her home to always be cold in the winter. She was also concerned about the safety of her grandkids who could not play on the porch because there were dangerous holes. Renovation Alliance helped this homeowner by hiring contractors free of charge to her, who helped replace her heating system and fix her porch. Nathan’s interviews give homeowners a chance to tell their stories so they are more than just a number on an Excel sheet and provide insight into the impact of Renovation Alliance’s home repair program. For example, Nathan spoke with an older adult whose home was broken into and feared that it could be broken into again. Renovation Alliance helped him feel a sense of being whole by fixing his porch and back door with community partners such as volunteers and contractors. These powerful stories help showcase the impact of Renovation Alliance’s home repair program.
Nathan is becoming more involved in community engagement with Renovation Alliance by reaching out and connecting with community groups in the city. This will ultimately help Renovation Alliance increase their number of volunteers and will allow them to get more home repair work done in the city and in rural areas in the Roanoke Valley. Nathan is also expanding a comprehensive resource list available in the city of Roanoke so someone seeking services outside of Renovation Alliance’s scope can find the help that they need.