http://66.225.205.104/SO20081215.mp3
Cooperativa Latina says more and more people in the area are seeking its services. And a spokeswoman says existing members in Charlotte were having to drive long distances to get to its Independence Boulevard location. Cooperativa Latina spokeswoman Erika Bell says membership of the Durham-based credit union is growing. She says, "There's a demand out there for responsible services, for people who've never had a bank account and who are trying to figure out how to incorporate themselves into the mainstream." Bell says a majority of the credit union's 50,000 members are low-income Latinos and Spanish-speakers. She emphasizes the business is designed to help people assimilate into the U.S. banking system. Bell says if customers move on to mainstream banking, the credit union has succeeded.