Amidst the fraught race relations between communities of color and law enforcement, one organization is working to improve that bond and the lives of teenagers of color.

The United Chaplains State of New York Athletic League (UCSNY) is a community group geared towards empowering youth. The organization is not only comprised of chaplains, but also members from the NYPD, FDNY and EMT. Within UCSNY, more than 200 students from around the city take part in a comprehensive sports program, mentorship and interactive workshops.

Lesly Roscha, 16, a student coming from Staten Island, said her two-hour commute to the UCSNY’s gym at In-Tech Academy in Kingsbridge is driven by her passion for volleyball, the friendships she’s built, and support system she’s gained.

Victor Matos, an NYPD police officer and the group’s volunteer athletic director, has worked in law enforcement for 15 years. After being raised by a single mother “with a sixth grade reading level,” the NYPD veteran recalls his inspiration to join the force from his cousin who was a police officer. One of his objectives within the program is for students “to see cops in a different light.”

For Natalie Vargas, a UCSNY member for more than a year, exposure to the other side of police has shifted her perspective of law enforcement.

“To know a lot more [police officers] personally brings a whole ‘nother viewpoint [and] not just the generic idea that all cops have this ill-intention against minorities,” Vargas said.

Matos works alongside his wife Rosaly, who provides administrative assistance for the program. Rosaly, a native of the Dominican Republic, expressed how imperative it is that students have mentors that look like them. Especially considering statistics showing more than half of the Bronx population is Black or of Hispanic/Latino descent.

As she reflected on her childhood in the Caribbean, she said “the way the children are raised here is completely different” and in some ways sets them up for failure.

“We just want to be that extra help for them because we know they don’t [all] have that,” Rosaly said.

Axel Vasquez, a 16-year-old high school sophomore who’s been involved in the program for more than a year, has aspirations to become an actor or a model. He said that being part of the program has been a huge push for him to “follow his dreams.”

Councilman Fernando Cabrera of the 14th Council District representing Morris Heights, University Heights, Fordham and Kingsbridge, said he’s proud to show his support to this program because of “the lessons attached” and how it’s ultimately “building local leadership.”

Cabrera also said that he is working to help provide UCSNY with additional funding. If awarded the $5,000 to 10,000 grant, organizers say the funding will go towards uniforms for the students.

Some future goals within the program include creating additional sports teams around softball and tennis while continuing to expose them to leaders across industries and provide scholarships for college.