Hubert Charles collects money for the Salvation Army. In return, shoppers using the southeast entrance to Coquitlam Centre — between London Drugs and former Sears — get an impromptu Christmas concert.
Charles, 68, has been jangling his jingle bells and serenading hurried shoppers going in and out of the mall every Christmas season for five years. In return, they fill his red kettle, he said.
Charles didn’t set out to be a Christmas kettle crooner. He’d been doing other volunteer duties at the Salvation Army for several years when a seasonal attendant took ill and he was asked to step in.
An avid vocalist in his church choir, Charles said he wasn’t content just smiling and shaking his issued loop of hand bells.
So he started singing.
Low and quiet at first, he said. But as his confidence grew, his voice grew louder.
The smiles and thumbs-ups followed — as did the donations.
On an overcast Monday more than two weeks before Christmas, Charles’ kettle was already half full with heaps of coins, several $5 bills and a couple of twenties.
“People are more responsive,” Charles said of the singing he keeps up for nearly the entirety of his eight-hour shift, six days a week. “It puts them in a good mood.”
Over the years, Charles has built his song book to more than 49 carols, all of them neatly printed out from his home computer, slipped into protective plastic sleeves and affixed into a blue binder that he places atop a music stand. Some are seasonal favourites, some offer a religious message.
Charles said shoppers favour the upbeat numbers, like “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” that put a spring in their step and a smile on their faces. Others will stop dead in their tracks for a traditional hymn like “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”
“They all mean something to somebody,” he said.
Charles said his location is no accident. When he started kettle duties, he moved to several spots around the mall but favoured his current station because of its busy foot traffic — and superior acoustics.
He said the time goes by quickly and helps the Salvation Army fulfill its national goal of raising more than $21 million this year to provide free meals, food hampers and toys to people in need as well as to support various programs such substance abuse recovery, housing supports and skills training, plus classes and budgeting to help lift people out of poverty.
“When I see other people happy, that makes me happy,” he said.
Still, he’s under no illusion the good vibes will last.
Said Charles: “The same person who’s smiling when you’re singing can cut you off later in the parking lot."
