Circuito Cooperativo celebrates 2nd edition of Shared Branching Awareness Week
The event highlights the benefits of shared branch network services for co-op members.
The Circuito Cooperativo recently announced the celebration of the second edition of Shared Branching Awareness Week, slated to take place from May 20-24. This national event aims to promote and raise awareness of the Shared Branches service among members of savings and credit Cooperatives.
Shared branches are an innovative solution that allows cooperative members to access a wide range of financial services at locations beyond their local co-op branch.
“This initiative aims to facilitate access to banking services through an interconnected network of branches, offering convenience and security to members across the country,” said Amanda Cardín, executive director at Circuito Cooperativo.
The CO-OP Shared Branch service allows members of the Shared Branch Network Cooperatives to conduct transactions at participating cooperatives.
“Our network has more than 130 branches around the island and over 5,500 in the United States and worldwide, positioning us as one of the most comprehensive services in the banking sector,” Cardín said. “This provides members the ease and peace of mind of having multiple branches on the island and in the United States [mainland] to carry out various transactions if they cannot reach their own cooperative.”
During this week, participating cooperatives will organize a variety of educational activities to inform their members about the network’s benefits and scope.
The second edition of Shared Branching Week is unique, given that Circuito Cooperativo said it is celebrating 15 years “of impact, reaffirming its role as a pillar of unity, evolution and strength of the cooperative movement in Puerto Rico.”
Cardín emphasized that “these events represent a great opportunity to highlight the fundamental role that savings and credit cooperatives play in strengthening communities and their members.”
Currently, 53 cooperatives are part of the Cooperative Circuit’s Shared Branch Network, allowing members to carry out transactions such as deposits, cash withdrawals and payments at more than 130 branches stateside and in Puerto Rico.
“We want to educate members and future members about all the transactions they can perform at any of the cooperatives that form part of the Shared Branch Network. We hope to end 2024 with 155 branches, continuing our primary mission of making life easier for our members with more accessible branches,” the executive director said. “Every day, we see more how the cooperative sector plays a leading role in our country’s economy and how more people are becoming members of cooperatives.”
