My Nonprofit Reviews

If you're looking to make friends with people who wear babies and are into attachment parenting this may be a good place to be. I was only interested in trying out a few different carriers from the local lending library. I joined a CIncinnati Facebook group and learned that there was a waiting list for carriers and "paying members" get first dibs on borrowing carriers. After being knocked down the list for over a month waiting for my turn on a Tula I decided to just pay the "dues" and get first dibs. It's $10 to borrow one without the membership (for this particular chapter. Each chapter makes their own rules) and I wasn't spending hundreds of dollars on one and risk disliking it so the $30 annual membership "dues", as they called them, was a no-brainer. At first I was notified when it was my turn for a carrier and met with the same woman several times without issue. Then the group split into different sub-chapters and I began dealing with another woman. She was twenty minutes late the first time we met, I had to drive an hour and a half round-trip to drop off the carrier the second time, and then she stood me up the third time. No joke, I drove 20 minutes, waited for 20 minutes, she messaged me saying I could wait another half hour for her to load her kids (I declined and thanked her), and drove 20 minutes home. Apparently the rules were always that you had to meet once a month at meetings to pick up and drop off carriers unless the admins were feeling generous, but they were only just recently implemented (their policies are only on their Facebook page and I cannot see them to confirm this). I don't have time to hang out with my actual friends, let alone time to devote on Saturday mornings to chit chat and trade carriers with people I have nothing in common with otherwise. I asked for a refund for my membership after I was stood up. The woman went on a rant about the rules and repeatedly mentioned that she volunteers, doesn't get paid for this, and it's not her entire life. Listen, I do a lot of volunteer work. If I didn't have time to commit I wouldn't. I also don't throw my sacrifice up in the air as an excuse to be a flake. After my Facebook messenger went off repeatedly for ten minutes while I was driving home from her standing me up I blocked her. I thought this was a reasonable thing to do after she blew my phone up like that. Apparently not. I was then banned from the group, as you can't block an admin and stay on the group. When I contacted BWI directly I was told that I could borrow from meetings. How do I know when meetings are held if I can't see the Facebook group? I was told to unblock the admin if I want the ban lifted. I won't open the door for someone to behave like a lunatic to use carriers. So I'm out $30 that they consider a "donation" and nonrefundable. If they're that hard up for the $30 they can keep it. It's sketchy and unethical, at best, but I don't really have time to devote to fighting it. Instead I'll shout from the rooftops NOT to give this group any money because they can (and will) take it and leave you with nothing to show for it. I simply didn't want to waste my time and gas and then have someone complain when I had a problem with the waste. If you want to try their carriers or meet do it without giving them money.

I recently moved to Kentucky from a very small town in Illinois. I have been a member at four different YMCAs as an adult. RCDurr is, hands down, the worst.

I was very excited to see all of the programs they offer. I talked with someone about membership and was told about the pools and water parks. My kids saw cheerleading and tumbling programs. They were stoked!

The first time we went there we were asked if we were referred. We weren't, but it seems to be common practice for whoever is walking past you in the lobby to refer you. Both get 20% off of the membership. If you refer more people you get $20. Why not just reduce the price 20% so that more people would come? I have to say this YMCA is the most expensive I've seen also.

My family has been there a total of four times. The second time I went there it was for my daughter's swim lesson. I dropped my first grader and 6-month-old in the child watch center. Between changing, the class, and changing again my kids were left in the care of the child watch center for a little less than an hour. I hadn't even gotten to the desk when a woman barreled through the doors and yelled, "Are you S****'s mother!?! He's been crying since you left!". Firstly, I was not only in the building, but I was also only 30 feet away. Why would they let an infant cry for an hour? I went to go inside and grab my hysterical baby. She stepped in front of me and refused to allow me inside. I was livid. She said employees only and parents are not allowed in the room under any circumstance. I told her that I know that's illegal in Illinois and I intended to find out if that's the case in Kentucky.

Upon investigation, it is against the law to prevent parents from entering a childcare facility. This YMCA gets around that because they're not licensed. I called the CEO and no one responded. The executive director did call me. He pussyfooted around subject talking about "exceptions to the rules" and I was aghast. "It's for the safety of the children", he explained. Four YMCAs and this is the first that does not have better security measures than to keep parents out of there. It looks highly suspicious, at best. After several conversations and emails I was told that the policy (which was never explained to me fully. Parents are allowed inside. No, wait, only in certain circumstances. No, they can't come inside. Well of course you can come inside to calm your child or breastfeed) will remain, but the employees only sign would be removed.

Fast forward two weeks. Again, I dropped my baby and first-grader in the child watch room. I made it very clear that I do not want my child crying for more than 10 minutes. Fifteen minutes later I was pulled from the tumbling class to get my son. I said he may want to breastfeed. Again, I was blocked from entering to retrieve or feed my baby. Instead, I was left standing in a very busy lobby on a Monday at 5 pm with my breast exposed.

This is beyond ridiculous. They did promise refund my membership fees and program costs. The fact still remains. I don't know what they're doing in there and they certainly don't want me to know. My kids will NEVER be allowed in any room or facility where I can't walk inside and see what they're doing.