NEW KENT, Va. (WAVY) — People who carry a protective order issued by the New Kent County General District Court now have access to a new resource which is the Hope Card Program.
The program is a new service made available to anyone with a valid final protective order that is effective for at least 12 months for family abuse, stalking, and/or sexual assault.
The Hope Card Program allows individuals to request a wallet-sized card that summarizes the protective order’s most important details. Officials say it is intended as a more convenient way for people who have permanent protective orders to keep relevant information about their orders with them at all times.
The Hope Card Program is funded in part under V-STOP grant #18-04141VA17 awarded by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services to the Office of the Executive Secretary, Supreme Court of Virginia, from funds authorized by the Violence Against Women Act and awarded to Virginia by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The card is small and durable and can be easily carried in a wallet or purse. Hope cards are also an easy way to allow law enforcement to know there is a valid protective order in place and assists in safety by informing law enforcement about weapons involved in the incident resulting in a protective order.
Residents can request one card per individual named on the protective order to, for example, be provided to a child’s school and after-school care program.
For more information on the Hope Card or to request a form you can contact the New Kent County Victim Witness’s Office at 804-966-9604, the General District Court Clerk’s Office or contact the statewide Hope Card Program Coordinator, Jaime Clemmer, at jclemmer@vacourts.gov.
