Lampeter-Strasburg YMCA — Local services in West Lampeter Township

Summer camp at the Y in Lampeter location has not been as fun as I had hoped for my two children 6 and 8. My 8 year old did the summer camp in 2015 and went swimming every day and had a pretty good experience. This summer both of my children were enrolled at the summer program. I have had many complaints over the past couple months. There lunches were left outside in the 90 degree weather all day rather than be brought in the air conditioned building. Lunch boxes and freezer packs are not designed to keep lunch cool for 8-9 hours. Also my children are one of the first to arrive at camp, therefore their lunches were being placed at the bottom of ALL the lunch boxes and getting destroyed. There were days where my children did not eat their lunches or have anything supplemented due to this. Another time I picked my 6 year old up after a long hot day in the sun and he was begging me for water. They do not ensuring the children are hydrated. Pool time is limited to 3 times a week for only 1 hour a day (my kids favorite part about camp is pool time). There have been numerous occasions where pool time was canceled all together due to lack of staff or other stupid reasons they gave. They have scheduled field trips on Thursdays. One field trip was to the YMCA camp Shan. Both my children were so excited to go because they were promised swim time and were told there was a zip line, and rock climbing wall. They were also instructed to wear their suites to camp that morning (as they did). They did not do ANY of those activities. That day was 92 degrees. My children were subjected to walking around the camp and LOOKING at all the things they couldn’t do. As a result from the heat my 8 year old developed a severe heat rash from her suite rubbing on her body ALL day in the heat. I contacted the camp and they stated they were sorry and under staffed. They also stated they a loud the campers to play in the creek to cool off. My son did get to do this however my daughter was in a different group and did not. I informed the Y my daughter did not get any water time and they continued to claim she did. My 8 year old definitely did not get any time to cool off. She was upset that day when she came home and found out her brother did and she did not. My 6 year old also had his Burton snowboarding backpack stolen. The value does not matter $100, however all his things were taken. Lunch box, first aid kit, sunscreen, bug spray, towel, bathing suite. NOTHING was done about it due to policy. The councilors clearly are not paying enough attention to my little boy. My eight year old I don’t worry about so much she is aware of her surroundings and will speak up for herself. However my son just goes with the flow. I am afraid he is not going to get enough food or water one day in the heat and pass out. The campers MAY go inside for an hour if there is a heat advisory. The general rule of thumb for this Advisory is when the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 100° or higher for at least 2 days. This in my opinion is not a reasonable protocol for a camp. To have all those kids outside with no swim time or break from the sun is ludicrous. There were countless extremely hot days where they did not get to go inside OR have swim time. This is my children’s FINAL week at camp (exciting right?) No not at all! There will be NO swim time for the last week of camp nor will they be having a field trip. The reason they are not having swim time the last week is because they are UNDER STAFFED according to Emily their coordinator. If my kids were not going to get to go swimming all but 3 hours a week, I should have sent them to a daycare. The Y has a baseball field that is only used to play in the dirt. The only sport I see them play is Basketball. They could get things for kick ball, flag football, soccer, (get games going). They really are there just to be baby sit I feel like. There have also been problems with another camper pulling his private out not once but twice! This same camper has an aide that is supposed to follow him...

cont...I wonder where he was when this was happening. A different child was stealing my son’s Pokémon cards and nothing was being done until by boyfriend intervene and got some cards back. My children also know which children are medicated and what they are medicated for. This should be kept private. My children do not need to know what children are on ADHD medication. This list just goes on how disappointed I am in the YMCA. I have complained in email about ALL of these things and NOTHING has been done. This is unfortunate how displeased I am because the Y is so beautiful and new. It has so much potential for campers that is not used. I live in southern Lancaster County so the YMCA and SECA in Quarryville are the ONLY two options for summer camp with a pool. SECA is twice as much so I can’t afford it with the two kids, however they go swimming and do activities EVERY DAY and my daughter loved it (when she went). I just wish when my kids came home from camp they were excited to tell me how much fun they had, rather than how boring it was and how they didn't get to do this or that today. Unless changes are made if you have another option rather than the Y I...

It would be nice if you could actually use the gym for recreation on your own and not have to be in a class. Their open gym times are while most people are working, in school or have to get their kids to bed for school in the morning. I know it's hard but maybe with the expansion they could build a gym that's usable by the members on their own. I don't have a problem joining in with others but most of the night it's closed for classes, not everyone wants to just lift weights. For what we pay it's discouraging to not be able to use it. Most of the staff is friendly if you speak to them. Usually clean and equipment is in working condition. With adding more members from other Y closures they may need to get a few more cleaning...