SAN DIEGO — Cabrillo Credit Union and San Diego Metropolitan Credit Union celebrated their recent branch partnership by hosting a Membership Appreciation Week. The festivities culminated with a cash giveaway. The first five members at each branch to complete transactions at 11 a.m. on Friday were given $10 cash. Designed to show member appreciation and to celebrate the unique "shared branch" business arrangement between the two local financial institutions, the week was a flurry of fun.

The "shared branch" partnership began in early January 2007, when both credit unions began to share space at two branch locations, providing new branch access to members of each credit union. "Many financial institutions wouldn't consider this kind of arrangement because of the competitive nature of their industry," said Robin Lentz, CEO of Cabrillo. "Two credit unions sharing facilities is a reflection of the cooperative nature of credit unions."