How three 20-somethings brought the community together

“Together, we can.”

That’s the motto for Christiano Marcello, Antonio Marcello and Fenol LaRock, who at 21, already showing they can as executive directors of the Elmont-based nonprofit Universal Interactions.

And it’s because they can — and their efforts to help others do the same — that all three are the Franklin Square/Elmont Herald Persons of the Year.

It all started during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. LaRock and the Marcello twins had just graduated from Elmont Memorial High School, ready to start their lives out in the real world. But they also couldn’t ignore what was happening around them.

Everyone was isolated in their own homes, but they knew they could bring the community together again, no matter the age or culture of any given individual.

“Elmont was a vibrant place when we were younger, and there was always something to do, something happening,” Christiano said. “As the years went on, things started slowing down a little bit — especially after the pandemic when we graduated.”

With that, Universal Interactions was born. And since then, it’s hosted myriad events for the Elmont community from basketball tournaments, to back-to-school drives, to Thanksgiving dinner, and even a Christmas celebration.

The three consider themselves lucky to be able to give back to the community that raised them.

“We honestly feel like this was our calling,” Christiano said. “Something tells us that we’ve got to do it.”

Fenol was especially moved by their ability to help students and families with a back-to-school drive.

“I didn’t understand how much people really didn’t have supplies to go to school,” he said. “It was really emotional for me because my parents were always able to get me supplies for school.”

Having parents come up to him with tears in their eyes to thank him for providing school supplies for their children is something Fenol will never forget.

“Seeing that we can help their kids have supplies, where they can be prepared, and not see anybody else asking for a pencil — actually having their own supplies to go to school and (be) able to learn, compared to somebody else,” Fenol said. “It was really breathtaking for me.”

Fenol, Antonio and Christiano consider their participation in Men of Elmont — a mentorship program established in 2016 that teaches boys core leadership values — an inspiration for their current venture.

“That program was a big help to lead into our foundation and what we’re doing now,” Fenol said.

Noah Burroughs, a Hempstead village trustee, has seen the determination and passion of the three in and around Elmont. He helped them put together their first 3-on-3 basketball tournament in July 2022.

“I’ve never met three young men — so young as those three are — with the commitment to serving the community the way they have,” Burroughs said. “That’s one of the reasons why I’ve decided to stand up and help them.”

When they’re not putting together community events, the three work as financial consultants at Allied Capital Services in East Meadow. But in this community, Fenol and the Marcello twins are aiming larger with the hopes of building a community center in Elmont. Their goal is to purchase land to build such a center by 2026.

To accomplish this, the three have turned to the community to help fund their mission. On Universal Interaction’s website — ElmontCommunityCenter.org — people can enroll in one of three monthly donation programs. The group’s goal is to have 5,000 people subscribe to the donation programs and raise around $3 million to build the center.

The first tier is a $25 monthly donation, which will provide the donor a year-long free membership period after the community center opens. Other tiers range between $35 and $55, which include longer membership perks.

The community center would offer sports, mentorship programs, classrooms for after-school programs, summer camps, a gymnasium, a track, an aquatic area, and more.

“We want to try to reach everything that we can,” Christiano said.

They have big ideas for the center, like incorporating training in trades jobs and career workshops to help build resumes. They’d also host literacy classes. Any additional ideas would come from the community itself, as the three are soliciting those thoughts from their neighbors on the group’s website.

“I just think they see that there’s a need to push the community forward,” Burroughs said.

Having a place for kids to gather outside of school is an important facet of the community center’s creation for Fenol, Antonio and Christiano. They believe children really are the future and want to inspire kids to make a positive impact in their community.

“We’re going to create a culture that’s going to be shocking and a new wave of a new generation,” Fenol said. “Where they’re going to do better in school. Where they’re going to stay out of trouble. We’re going to make these things look so cool to the kids — where they’re going to want to be a part of something so great — instead of doing things that are negative to the community.”

A goal for the community center is to provide a place for people of all ages to gather. The three feel there is a gap in the connection and understanding between generations — one they would like to close.

“We want to create a vision where the youth can always learn from the adults, and the adults can still learn from the youth,” Fenol said. “If we don’t make that connection, there would never be any growth within the community.”

While their current mission is to help the community through events and eventually build a community center in Elmont, Fenol, Antonio and Christiano are aiming high with their organization. The name “Universal Interactions” stemmed from their aspiration to spread their mission beyond their hometown.

“We want to impact the world,” Antonio said. “We’re starting off in our community, and as soon as we have the best things for our community done, we want to impact the world.”

While the three are young, their aspirations are larger than life as they hope to leave an impact on the community for years to come.

Antonio: “It’s about what you do here on Earth before you leave.”