Jan. 7, 2007 — Charles and Anita Nibbs don't have any of their own children to shower with love and affection. But they do have a lot of love to share with St. Croix kids through their LuvKids organization.
"Parents today are not giving their children real love," Anita Nibbs said. "They think if they buy sneakers and Nintendo that's showing love."
In 2004, LuvKids Television and Radio Productions started out as a kids safety show on radio WSTX and a television show on Channel 13. Public service announcements on safety at Halloween are the only broadcasts they do now.
But their involvement with children has become even more far-reaching.
The Nibbses' goal with LuvKids is to see that children are loved and feel safe and secure during their formative years. Their purpose is also to deter juvenile delinquency and help prevent child abuse in the community.
Charles Nibbs has been in the V.I. Police Department for the last 20 years and has has been called upon to testify on child abuse and neglect. Too many times, Nibbs has seen firsthand in some homes the abuse children suffer. In other homes, he sees what some children lack. According to Anita Nibbs, her husband has been in homes with no food in the cupboards or refrigerator.
This is where the two of them step in with LuvKids. They will go out shopping for food and basic necessities for children in need.
"Our credit card bill is sometimes pretty high after helping families," Mrs. Nibbs said. They are non-profit, registered with the Lt. Governor's Office and under the umbrella of the St. Croix Foundation. Almost all of the money they spend on children comes out of their pocket.
"All we give comes from our hearts," Anita Nibbs said.
They are not counselors, but they will refer families to different agencies that help with specific problems. They have a youth helpline/hotline number available 24 hours a day at 693-2302.
Charles Nibbs speaks regularly on crime, abuse, peer pressure and related topics and collaborates with a number of other groups.
In December, Charles Nibbs was a mentor/surrogate father for a young boy at a workshop for fathers and sons put on by the St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center Parent Advisory Committee.
Anita Nibbs said they frequently get calls from local church youth groups and wayward mothers to help with things such as parent/child workshops and mentoring. "Our motto is each one teaches one," she said.
The reward for the couple's efforts is not monetary — it comes in lives saved. Anita Nibbs said young people stop them on the street and tell them they put them on the right track.
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