Charles “Charlie” Pitner ’28 dedicated himself to serving others early. At just 6 years old, he launched “Charlie’s Kids-4-Kids Coat Drive,” a small neighborhood project that has since grown into a 13-year community effort collecting and distributing more than 9,500 coats to families in need.

Now an agribusiness student in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Agricultural Economics, Pitner is being recognized nationally for his service-driven leadership. He was named one of only three nationwide recipients of The Storage Center’s 2025 Space to Succeed Scholarship, a $5,000 award honoring students who make lasting impacts in their communities.

What started as a simple act of compassion has become a defining part of Pitner’s life and character. His long-standing commitment to serving others continues to guide his work both at home in Lubbock and now as a student at Texas A&M University.

A child sitting with a large pile of coats.
A man in a red coat lays in a pile of many other coats.
Charlie Pitner’s desire to serve others began at age 6, when he heard a radio announcement asking for coat donations. (Courtesy photo/Charlie Pitner, Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)

Childhood idea turns into a community movement

For Pitner, who was born and raised in Lubbock, the honor reflects more than a decade of work. The project began one night when Pitner heard a radio fundraiser asking for donations to send coats to children. His family couldn’t contribute financially, so he came up with another solution: what if he just started his own coat drive?

That first year, his church and local partners helped gather more than 200 coats. Over the years, the effort expanded through word of mouth, local businesses and media support. Today, Kingdom Come Ministries helps distribute coats to elementary schools and community members across Lubbock.

“My absolute favorite part about the coat drive is getting to see a kid’s face just light up when you hand them a coat,” Pitner said. “It really puts things into perspective that you shouldn’t take anything for granted.”

A man in a black coat reaches out with a blue coat in hand.
Charlie Pitner ’28 continues to find ways to give back to his community, whether it be through his coat drive or The Big Event at Texas A&M University. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)

Carrying service into Texas A&M

Despite both of his parents graduating from Texas Tech University, Pitner knew from an early age he wanted to be an Aggie.

“I honestly just woke up one day and decided I was going to Texas A&M, and no one was really going to change my mind,” he said.

Pitner chose to study agribusiness in the Department of Agricultural Economics because he was drawn to the family-oriented nature of agriculture. Growing up in Lubbock, he admired the tight-knit community built through agricultural connections.

“I really like the family aspect of everything, how close people are, the relationships you build in the agricultural community,” he said.

Although Pitner’s parents and church community back home now help lead the drive while he studies, he continues to stay involved. He returns home over breaks to help distribute coats and is working to establish a similar effort in Bryan-College Station.

On campus, he has found more ways to give back to the community by participating in The Big Event and is pursuing a leadership role with the university’s student-run day of service.

“I think the big thing looking back is you don’t have to be a certain age or a certain type of person to be able to help the people around you,” he said.

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