How EECU's Mobile Branch is reaching the unbanked in isolated California county
Educational Employees Credit Union has deployed a full-service mobile branch to serve residents in one of California's most isolated agricultural communities. With more than half of new account holders previously unbanked, the initiative demonstrates how credit unions can reach people traditional banks have left behind.
When three women visited Educational Employees Credit Union's (EECU) Mobile Branch together-sisters and a neighbor, all Spanish speakers, all referred by word of mouth-Mobile Branch Manager Eddie Zamora saw exactly what his team had set out to accomplish. Each woman left with her first checking account, her first savings account, and her first formal relationship with a financial institution.
That scene plays out regularly in Mendota, a small city in western Fresno County where residents face a 45-minute drive to reach a full-service branch. Through a partnership with the AMOR Wellness Center, EECU's Mobile Branch now visits twice monthly, offering checking and savings accounts, deposits, withdrawals, ATM access, and loan application assistance in multiple languages.
The data behind the effort is striking: more than half of all new account openings at the Mobile Branch come from individuals who were previously unbanked, many transitioning from Cash App, PayPal, or prepaid systems into their first regulated accounts.
A data-driven response to a growing gap
The initiative began with a clear directive from EECU President and CEO Elizabeth J. Dooley to extend the credit union's reach into communities that historically lacked branch access. The team used data on poverty rates, banking density, commute patterns, and member addresses to identify where barriers were greatest.
That approach reflects a broader national trend. According to a Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia report, the number of bank branches nationwide declined 5.6% between 2019 and 2023, and the number of Americans living in banking deserts increased from 760,000 to 12.3 million. California led all states in branch losses during that period.
For Hispanic households specifically, the stakes are high. The FDIC's 2023 National Survey found that 9.5% of Hispanic households remain unbanked, more than four times the rate for white households.
Trust built through partnership
The Mobile Branch's success depends heavily on where it parks. At the AMOR Wellness Center, families already arrive for healthcare, food distribution, workforce training, and social services. When EECU joined that ecosystem, the trust transferred almost instantly.
"Our role at AMOR Wellness is to connect families with a variety of resources and services that can improve their well-being," said Stephanie Franco, AMOR's rural program supervisor. "With EECU's Mobile Branch here, residents can open an account, ask financial questions, and leave with tools that help them manage their money more easily, all in English or Spanish."
That coordination is strategic. AMOR promotes upcoming visits through social media, printed calendars, and digital displays in the lobby, ensuring residents know when services are available.
Beyond account numbers
EECU tracks more than just new accounts. The team monitors how members use their accounts over time, whether they return for additional services, and how quickly those relationships progress into refinancing, savings growth, or credit building.
"Our CEO is deeply focused on helping members save money," Zamora said. "When we help someone lower their auto loan rate or move high-interest debt into affordable credit, it immediately frees up household dollars for essentials-groceries, utilities, children's needs."
Perhaps most telling: parents in Mendota are opening savings accounts not just for themselves but for their children, planting the seeds of financial stability across generations.
A model for rural financial inclusion
The Mobile Branch now operates at roughly a dozen sites across Fresno County, including Coalinga College's Firebaugh Center and Workforce Connection. Each location was selected using the same criteria: data, community trust, and long-term sustainability.
For many residents in California's Central San Joaquin Valley, stretching from Merced County through Kern County, this is the first mobile credit union they have encountered. The reaction is often surprise, then relief.
"Access to safe, affordable financial services should never depend on geography," Zamora said. "We want families to know they are valued, their future matters, and EECU is here to serve them at every stage of life.
