Garfield YMCA — Local services in Garfield

I cannot say enough good things about this YMCA. Wow!!! I don't have all the names of the people who have been amazing but the ones I do have I will gladly name. Councilors Michael, Jolena, Alyssa and Stephanie. My 2 daughters (11yo and 5yo) come home happy and smiling every day. They absolutely love going to summer camp at the Garfield YMCA. These councilors are so loving, helpful, encouraging, and just absolutely amazing people. My daughter's come home every day with amazing stories about how great their days went. Having conversations with these councilors, when I pick my girls up at the end of the day, make me realize how great they are at what they do. Their faces light up when they talk about my kids and you can see how they truly love the children and love what they do to encourage them and guide them. As a mom to 2 young children, with the world being what it is today, it is such a comfort knowing that my children are being taken care of so well. I had previously sent my 11 yo to 2 other camps, over the years, and she was bullied and scared when she attended them. Instead of the staff helping, they only had excuses and inadequate answers as to how to keep my child safe and taken care of. Since she has been at the Garfield YMCA, she comes home so happy and smiling. She tells me "Mom, the councilors here are amazing!!! They make me feel loved and love seeing my artwork and encourage me to do more with my art, especially Michael. Thank you so much for sending us here!!! You are the best mom ever!!" My 5 yo tells me "Mom, Jolena, Michael, and Stephanie love me so much. They help me anytime I ask for help and they make me feel so happy every day. Can I come here everyday forever?" "I was scared to go to summer camp but I'm not scared anymore because they keep me safe and take good care of me. They are my best friends"

Erica, at the front desk is always so helpful and Tara, the Director has been absolutely amazing in helping me with everything from getting my girls enrolled for the first time to signing them up for different trips, and specialty camps, to helping me feel that they will be taken care of and comforting me from the fears I had from the bad experiences from the other previous camps that made me scared to send my children anywhere. I was referred to the Garfield YMCA by a childhood friend whose son has been going there, who is also friends with my 11 yo. I was lucky enough to be able to enroll my 2 beautiful daughters and I am ever so grateful to have them both in the same summer camp. It's nice to be able to send my kid here and go to work without any worries or fears. Best summer...

So sadden, to know that Shannon is the image to a person who calls the YMCA in Garfield. I have a friend who needed help translating the information the YMCA had for the "after school programs" that they offer to the community. I work in a Day Care and as I am here making the call, a baby is been picked up and crying because he is sick, Shannon on the other side of the call says to me "I am sorry ma'am, I don't want to be rude, but I have to make this quick because I can't hear you because you have a child crying in the background" rushing me to end the call as she WHO WORKS IN A YMCA WHERE A "NOISE" OF CHILD HAPPENS PROBABLY OFTEN AS HERE IN A DAY CARE, WAS ANNOYED AND VERY RUDE. I can't understand two things, one, why are you giving me all this info of the after care program when you have not asked me what age is for. So, you just want to give me whatever info and call it a day. Two, why are you working in a place where kids are often taken to, you been so intolerant to "noise" of a child? Very sadden, thank you to whomever rescued the call from her and provided me with accurate information. If you are having a bad day Shanoon, go home, I only part getting information for a resident of the town where your work place is at, to give them more business and for them to have a check to provide you at the end of the week.

If you are the person who runs this Y, I think you should double check her customer service skills before she answers another call and ruins another potential...

I do not recommend the Garfield YMCA for group swimming lessons. My 6 year old was almost drowned by an instructor who held her under the water and all I saw was my daughter hands flapping in the water while the instructor was holding her head down in the water so I screamed and my daughter was released and I asked why she held her under and the instructor replied that if my daughter was listening to the instructions she would have known that was going to happen and she would have held her breath. My daughter was 6! I still have trauma and parent guilt for bringing her there, from that awful experience. I did hear that the private lesson instructors are a lot nicer I just can't give a good review because I personally had was a very...