Tri-Valley YMCA

I absolutely love the Y Guide /​Y Princess programs provided by the Tri Valley YMCA. The staff really goes beyond the call of duty to provide a pleasurable experience for all. Thank you!

I know people have policies, but sometimes you just do what you know is the right thing to do. I have a son that really needs to go to summer camp, that everyone around me says is an angel. I am a single mom, and do the best I can, but summer camp is pricey. I spend most of my day in Dublin as that’s where I work, and applied for a scholarship for my son to go to camp at Tri-​Valley.
Right off the bat, I was told by someone named «Chris» that I should go apply in Oakland. Why? Yes, I live in Oakland, but A) I live off Keller, and there is no YMCA anywhere near there B) I spend my entire day in Dublin. I was offered a paltry $ 40 off a week from the price of $ 200 a week. I know that Y’s are geared to their community, but if I’m always in Dublin, why should I go miles out of my way to a Y in Oakland, or Hayward, as was her alternative suggestion? Also, when I lived 4 blocks from the San Francisco Embarcadero YMCA, I was told that all of the scholarships were given out to people who «worked» in the city, so her declared policy of Tri-Valley’s Y really being just for people that live directly in the area is a direct contradiction.
People know what is right, and I think the fact that I live in Oakland had a hand in her decision, if you know what I mean. This situation puts me in a real and unfair predicament, and unjustly affects my son. For shame.

Love the summer camp at this YMCA. My daughter went last year and had a great time, she loved the counselors and the trips. The front office people are very polite and helpful. However the director KELLY O’LAGUE DULKA is a nasty little dried up tyrant. She is so rude and disrespectful that I know of at least 3 employees who had to leave because they could not work with her. In all my years of going to the YMCA I have never encountered a more inappropriate director, its really a shame because otherwise its a great place. I would have given 5 stars if it weren’t for this very disagreeable woman.

Worked for the Tri-​Valley Y during the summer– my only thoughts about it are the summer camp is crap and the Y-​Kids is fantastic. The summer camp is run by teenagers that have no formal education in working with children and/​or never worked with kids. While their ideas were great, it’s the lack of experience that truly shows. The front area was extremely messy the whole 9 weeks, teen campers would be left alone, and counselors/​directors would put themselves in situations where they didn’t know how many kids they had or would be alone with a child– a huge red flag should go off for any parent/​guardian!
Let’s just say this: the summer camp director is the daughter of the executive director. There are also friends employed at this camp– bottom line there are extreme conflict of interests with minimal professionalism. (One director flaked twice on trainings because of «lifes» issues– too much personal baggage coming into an organization that works manly with kids).
However, the Y-​Kids, the childcare sites at local elementary schools is superb! The executive director knows what’s going and all the employees are friendly. They make all new people feel welcome, compared to the camp with different, young staff. If you’re going to be a part of the Tri-​Valley Y, try Y-​Kids first. If they’re full for summer-​time, go somewhere else! There’s plenty of programs in the Tri-​Valley.

The summer program put on by the YMCA in Pleasanton is fabulous… I only wish I would have known about it a long time ago.