The Financial Service Centers Cooperative has replaced four previously shared branching outlets with a shared branch and kiosks housed in other spaces.

The branch and kiosks enabled 200 credit unions with nearly 30,000 members in the high desert cities of Hesperia and Apple Valley, Calif., to continue shared branching access, the network said.

The members temporarily lost access when Arrowhead Credit Union sold four shared branching outlet branches to Alaska USA Federal Credit Union that closed down their shared branching operations.

In response FSCC, Vons Credit Union and Cardtronics got together to place a shared branch in a Vons grocery store and Vcom shared branching kiosks in an area convenience store.

"We believe shared branching is one of the best examples of how credit unions are different from banks," said Vons Credit Union chief operating officer Donna Young. "We're a cooperative and we're part of another cooperative through FSCC. We believe in working together to serve the members of all participating credit unions and we're happy to work with FSCC and other affected credit unions to continue serving members in this region," she added.

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This could have been a devastating situation for thousands of members and a black eye for the concept of credit union cooperation," said FSCC CEO Sarah Canepa Bang. "The power of the FSCC network and its ability to bring together credit unions and partner organizations to provide credit union access was once again displayed here. We're extremely blessed to have collaborative partners like Vons Credit Union and Cardtronics who were willing to join us in jumping to the aid of members in the California high desert."