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Volusia County Public Library Wins 2024 NEFLIN Innovation Award

The award was granted for the Volusia County Public Library's Pedal Forward Project, which gives bicycles to program participants as a mode of transportation.

By Observer Staff
| 6:00 p.m. July 29, 2024

Pedal Forward Project is a new concept for Volusia County’s Social Workers in Libraries program. Courtesy photo

Ormond Beach Observer
Your Town

The Northeast Florida Library Information Network Board of Directors has selected the Volusia County Public Library as the winner of the 2024 Innovation Award for their Pedal Forward Project, a press release announced Friday.

“Pedal Forward Project is a new concept for Volusia County’s Social Workers in Libraries program; enhancing it by offering tangible support to program participants who have demonstrated determination and resiliency for reentering the workforce but identify reliable transportation as an obstacle in finding or maintaining newly found jobs," said Melissa Reynolds, assistant director of VCPL. "Specifically, connecting participants with refurbished bicycles allows them a greater sense of self-reliance and independence, and affords them a wider search area for employment."

The first set of bicycles to support the program came from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Foundation and the second batch came from VOTRAN.

VCPL will accept the award at the NEFLIN Annual Meeting on Friday, Sept. 13, at the UNF Conference Center in Jacksonville.