LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Temperatures will continue to drop as winter approaches, bringing to light an issue impacting thousands of children in need right here at home. For its 13th year, a local coat drive is continuing on, even though its creator is no longer in Lubbock.
Charlie Pitner, who is now a freshman at Texas A&M University, is still providing kids the warmth they need, even from hundreds of miles away. He began collecting coats to donate at only six years old, and even though he's not home to facilitate it now, the drive is happening for another winter season.
From now until December 8, you can bring any size new or gently used coats to drop-off locations around town. Those include the Wolfforth Methodist Church, Wentz Orthodontist offices, and you can even bring a coat for a free appetizer at Triple J's.
"It was never a question that that it was gonna keep going," he said. That's always been the goal that this is gonna keep going."
Charlie came up with the idea for the coat drive after hearing about another one on the radio. It required a $40 monthly pledge, but his mother said it wouldn't fit in their budget. Then, he asked her if they could start their own, gathering donated coats from around town.
"I originally started and I think I kind of had my head in the stars. I originally, I wanted to do it like worldwide, and obviously that's a really, really hard goal to achieve," he said. "But I never would have imagined that it would have grown to where it is right now."
The first year, the drive helped gather and donate nearly 230 coats. As Charlie grew up, the drive grew, as well, partnering with more drop-off locations over the years. In total, he's helped keep nearly 10,000 Hub City kids warm in the winter in the last 13 years.
"To think that he was six years old and this, you know, he wanted to send coats around the world and we haven't made it around the world because there's such a need here just in our, you know, in our city and our surrounding area," Charlie's mom, Christy Crowson, said.
Before Charlie left for college this year, he worked with his mom to get everything set up for the drive. Now, she's happy to keep up with the donations while he's gone.
"Couldn't be more proud. I mean he truly is being the hands and feet of Jesus, and that's all, I mean, you can want as a mom is for him to follow God's calling," she said.
Charlie will be back for Christmas break for his favorite part of the drive, helping Kingdom Come Ministries distribute the coats.
"I didn't realize that a six year old, you know, would be worried about finding a coat, and after kind of seeing the impact that it has, especially in younger kids, it's awesome," Charlie said.
With time, he hopes to expand the coat drive all the way to his college campus.
"It's really not the end of something. It's really kind of just the beginning of it growing," he said.