YMCA
reviews and complaints

I was notified by the City of Council Bluffs, Iowa, in late October of last year that the local YMCA planned to close a street that many of my neighbors and I use every day, Baughn Street. I feel it is important to point out that the executives of the YMCA did not reach out to any of us prior to, as well as after, the notification we received from the city. In fact, per city ordinance, only property owners within 200 feet of Baughn Street were notified. This begs the question: did the YMCA executives purposely keep their intentions quiet? Our neighbors have many frustrations about this entire issue. We do not understand why the YMCA did not directly contact any of us. They were not legally required to do so; however, each YMCA chapter is required to follow four core values: Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility.
Questions to ask the YMCA executives and members of the YMCA Advisory Board might include:
1) They started the discussion among themselves in 2019 to close Baughn Street. Why did they not discuss those plans with any neighbors? I believe it would have shown Caring to have done so. We did not learn any of this until October 2020, and that was due to required notification from the City, not the YMCA.
2) In a recent KMTV news report, one of the YMCA executives stated the following: "Something I wish we could remedy through the process is get together more in person. We all know why we couldn't do that, and I think we did the best we could to make sure voices were heard and to be quite honest, still letting voices be heard," Monson said. https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/ymca-of-greater-omaha-releases-renderings-for-campus-park-project-in-council-bluffs
What voices were heard? Who is Mr. Monson referring to? The neighbors? Which neighbors? Why didn't the YMCA executives coordinate a zoom meeting with neighbors? Or, a meeting in-person where everyone would be socially distanced?
I believe doing as I suggested above would have reflected Honesty. I disagree with Mr. Monson's entire statement, especially when he states the words, "to be honest".
3) Did the YMCA executives and members of their Advisory Committee treat the neighbors with Respect? We feel completely disrespected! After we made our case to both the City Planning Commission AND the City Council, and both bodies voted to keep Baughn Street open, did the YMCA executives and members of their Advisory Committee Respect that decision? No, they lobbied members of the city council and offered $142, 000 to purchase Baughn Street. Was that Respect?

4) Did the YMCA executives and members of their Advisory Committee act in a way reflecting Responsibility? If so, how did they do that? Did they do what is right?

The Charles E. Lakin YMCA executives are responsible for the problems they themselves created. They freely moved to the site where they are now located. Their poor planning had and continues to have consequences that they should have recognized long ago.

Perhaps they need new leadership, leaders who follow the YMCA's core values: Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility.

It would be a welcomed change.

I just learned that in order for my four year old to go to soccer practice here in the Monument, Colorado facility, that she would have to wear a mask while playing. That is not only not what the state mandate requires (11 and older should wear a mask per state mandate), but it's child abuse. How absolutely ridiculous and harmful that is for your organization to be requiring that! It's absolutely unacceptable.

Hello,
Would like to ask kindly for your help and puzzle out the current situation please.
Have 2 issues.
1. YMCA workers are constantly forcing clients to leave not later than 7:30pm. Otherwise YMCA workers will behave indecently and show an attitude which borders with which reprimands and humiliations. 
2. Swimming class is constantly less than 45 min. Why? 

Please judge for yourself about the situation #1.
The last swim ends at 7:25pm.  Swimmers should get out of the pool at 7:25pm. Club in closing at 7:30pm. EVERY swimming time is allowed to swim 5 min less then officially established (45 min). Why? (picture is below).
 Do you think 5 min is enough to get out of  the swimming pool and exit the club being dripping wet?... Even if you finish swimming 5 min before official required time, you will NOT be able to exit club in 5 min (at 7:30pm - required time)
You need:1 min to exit the water.1 min to grab all your bags, shoes etc and reach the shower. Process: 10-15 min to take shower and leave (remove all swimwear, rinse it,   take out body wash, take shower, put body wash and all the swimwear back into the bag,  get dressed).
Then you have to leave the dressing room/showers, go to the second floor. I'm not including in this time the following: wash/conditioning hair, put lotion, let it soak in, dry hair before going out on the cold weather etc.
My point: it's IMPOSSIBLE to do all of this in 5 min for human beings.
As a conclusion: I'm running out as soon as possible, almost no shower, no hair washing, got burned on my way in the shower (no cold/warm water in showers - only boiling water in the tap. Broken), running out on the 1st floor without tights in this cold weather (impossible to quickly put them on a wet body. No time to dry) Flying out on the 1st floor with dripping hair, not fully dressed on a cold weather  and I'm catching judgmental glances on myself from YMCA staff for not leaving at 7:30pm, got stopped by a man employee (25 yo) and got a degrading reprimand about being late for exit for 5-10 min. Those reprimands are on a permanent basis. It's humiliating! Don't you think? Why not closing the club 20 min after the last lesson? Why close 5 min after the last lesson? I used to be a member in Prosports Club for a very long time. Not even once I found there such an inadequate schedule regarding classes and closings (5 min difference) and no humiliating attitude ever from the Prosports club staff (even during COVID). Hope you can help to stop reprimands and humiliations please at Sammamish YMCA.

penultimate swimming session.
All sessions are only 40 min (not 45 as promised)
Sincerely yours,  
Amber

six. [protected]@gmail.com

MYCA YMCA Fairfax County Reston 12196 Sunset Hills Road Reston VA 20190 Ph: [protected]

On more than one occasion she has yelled at me, insulted me, talked down to me, and is treating me unfairly because I have a disability. Telling me I can't swim in the lane that was reserved where the person did not show up; after it was suggested to me by another staff to us that lane until the person who reserved the lane showed up. I understand that the policy is that I or anyone else can swim in any lane that has been reserved until the person that reserved the lane shows up. I have the same rights as everyone else and see that I am clearly being treated differently because I have a disability. I am capable of swimming in other areas besides the ramp, asking me to stay in the area with the ramp because staff preference is wrong.

The behavior and treatment of Ms. Milica Mijacic are unacceptable. She is clearly discriminating against me. This needs to stop today. I will be treated like any other member, with kindness and respect. There is no reason for a YMCA employee to humiliate and degrade me, particularly in public where others see he degrading me. I have been a member for a long time (8 years) with no problems, issues, or concerns. I understand we are all working through the challenges of COVID-19 and that there needs to be some flexibility. I am willing to work with the staff and adhere to the guidelines of membership. My exercise is important to me and I am one who follows the rules and is cooperative. The American's with Disability Act (ADA) mandates that your organization provide me accommodations. I suggest you designate one swimming lane to be reserved by appointment for people with disabilities and their families such as myself and if not reserved; open to the general membership. David Rodrigues is the executive director of the YMCA of Reston Virginia. He is not doing anything.