Sara Appel, a graduate instructor at Duke University, plans to close her Wells Fargo bank account this week. It wasn't a difficult decision, she said. She'd never opened one.

The 32-year-old literature grad student, had been a Wachovia customer for several years and only became a Wells Fargo client when the California-based bank bought Wachovia.

"One day I was a Wachovia customer and then I was a Wells Fargo customer, whether I liked it or not," she said.

Next Saturday (Nov. 12) , organizers with movemoneydurham.org, part of Occupy Durham, hope others will join Appel, as the movement seeks to move money from big banks to local banks and credit unions.

About 75 people attended a rally yesterday in CCB Plaza, where credit unions provided information on their services. Among protesters' main points, printed on a flier at the rally, were these:

- Credit unions are nonprofits; banks are for profit.

- Credit unions educate their members; banks have negotiated mortgages even though they gave borrowers mortgages they would be unable to pay back.

- Credit unions reinvest in their communites; most major banks took a government bailout but retain "staggering profits."

"I think banks are banking on us forgetting what happened a few years ago," said Appel, one of the organizers. "They're responsible for the situation we're in."

The federal Treasury department awarded more than $2 million to three North Carolina financial institutions as part of the single largest round of financing for community development funds.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced nearly $105 million to 180 local financial institutions in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

The grants are intended to expand access to capital and affordable financial services in underserved areas.

In this state, the feds awarded $750,000 to the Latino Community Credit Union and $750,000 to Self-Help Federal Credit Union, both in Durham.

A grant of $597,178 went to the Greater Kinston Credit Union.

The North Carolina grants will largely be used to increase lending to local businesses.

The Latino Community Credit Union is planning to open its ninth branch in Carrboro in 2010.

The office, at 104 NC 54 will open mid-year, depending on the city permitting process and construction, said spokeswoman Erika Bell.

The credit union, which opened its first branch in 2000, is also planning to move its Durham branch and corporate headquarters in January.

The office will move from Main Street to 100 West Morgan St. and open for business there on Jan. 11. The new building provides more room for the credit union to grow and additional parking, Bell said.