A Time for Generosity

Everyone feels more generous during the holidays. But there are many ways to give besides money.

In his signature penguin costume, Mark Shapp is used to long, chilly shifts ringing the bell for The Salvation Army. He also wears the outfit whenever he jumps into an icy lake to raise money for charity.

To those who know him, Shapp has the warmest of hearts for the causes he believes in and supports. For 20 years, Shapp, now 37, has been a Salvation Army bell ringer in Westbrook and Portland, Maine. Some have called him the epitome of generosity.

“The bell ringing truly helps people who are in need this time of the year, and I want to be a part of that effort,” Shapp says. “I love that The Salvation Army doesn’t just give people a handout, but they also help people get on their feet and develop the skills that they need to lead a successful life.”

The Salvation Army helped Mark Shapp’s family at Christmas when he was young. That’s one reason he gives so much of himself today.

A native of Estonia, Shapp and his family came to the United States in 1992 when he was just 4. Shapp’s mother, Liliya, received help at Christmas from The Salvation Army when the family first arrived.

“My mom got toys for me from The Salvation Army when I was a child because we didn’t have much when we first got here,” Shapp says. “I do feel like I’m giving back, and that’s part of why I do it for sure. The teachings of Jesus to help our neighbor and take care of each other are important to me.

“I love hearing all the stories that people tell me about how The Salvation Army has helped them when they were kids and gave them toys to have a good Christmas, or helped their parents when their house burned down. Those stories keep me going and motivated.”

God’s Word on giving

The Bible has much to say to believers about generosity—both to the church and to those outside their church walls. Several Salvation Army pastors interviewed for this story said when it comes to tithing, they often reference 2 Corinthians 9:7, which teaches Christian believers that “each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (ESV).

That’s also the theme of The Salvation Army’s new Christmas campaign “Give with Joy,” which features a host of smiling faces in videos as well as print and social media ads.

Captain Nereus Mogaria, the pastor of The Salvation Army’s Brooklyn, N.Y., Brownsville Corps, says he speaks to his congregation about the widow from Mark 12. In that account, Jesus watched as people put their offerings in the temple treasury. While many rich people gave large sums out of their wealth, a poor widow gave two small copper coins “out of her poverty.” Jesus told His disciples that she had given more than all the others.

Major Paul Pelletier, a Salvation Army pastor in Norristown, Pa., compares giving to physical exercise and says it is “reflective of our heart.”

“Giving can be learned and practiced,” Pelletier says. “It’s truly a form of worship to God, and practicing it with others can make the giving muscles grow. Giving can begin to feel good when released with the right attitude.” But it doesn’t take long for muscles to stop growing and get out of shape when we don’t go to the gym, he points out. And the same can be true for charitable impulses when we don’t make them a habit.

One form of Christian giving is tithing, but what about sharing time, talent, treasure, and spiritual gifts apart from that?

Major José Guzman, a Salvation Army pastor in Newburgh, N.Y., teaches that generosity is a way for us to strengthen relationships, cultivate gratitude, and store up eternal rewards rather than earthly treasures (Matthew 6:19–21).

“Giving is about more than just material wealth. It’s also about time, kindness, and service,” Guzman says. “The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) illustrates how generosity can bridge divides and bring healing.”

Breaking the ice

The generous gift of time that Guzman references is something Shapp certainly believes in giving. When he was 17 and working at Shaw’s Supermarket in Westbrook, Maine, he struck up a friendship with Frank Nataluk, then a captain in The Salvation Army, who would frequently ring the bell there as Shapp went out to retrieve shopping carts.

Shapp didn’t know much about The Salvation Army except that it was founded in London by William and Catherine Booth, a fact he had learned from his grandfather, Armin Shapp, a Lutheran pastor who came to the United States from Russia.

“I learned that The Salvation Army is not only a church, but they’re also an organization that does a lot of good in the community helping people, so I wanted to get involved and I started volunteering,” he says. “It just kept growing year after year, and I started putting in more hours.”

Shoppers in his area around Portland, Maine, are now on the lookout for the penguin bell ringer, says Shapp.

Shapp, who keeps meticulous records, has raised more than $177,000 since he started ringing the bell in 2005 for the former Westbrook Corps in Maine. His overall total is actually higher, but he didn’t keep records for the first four years. His best year was 2021, during the COVID pandemic, when he raised $22,614.50.

“It adds up,” Shapp says. “It’s incredible. People think, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter if I put a few pennies in or whatever,’ but it really adds up over time and can make a difference in people’s lives. I tell people, ‘No donation is too small.’ It’s fun to see the kids come over, and they usually put in one coin at a time. It’s nice to see parents teach their kids from a young age to contribute.”

Black and white and red (kettle) all over

In 2008, Shapp started wearing a penguin costume for the polar dip into Sebago Lake to raise money for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program. He collected more than $50,000 for the charity from 2006 to 2019.

Mark Shapp first started wearing the penguin costume in 2008 for a polar dip into Sebago Lake.

“I would dress up in the penguin suit at the grocery store and sell raffle tickets and collect donations to raise money,” he says.

Shapp started wearing the penguin costume at the red kettle in 2012 over his long johns, coat, and other layers. He says shoppers are now on the lookout every Christmas season for the “penguin bell ringer” at the Walmart in North Windham or at Cabela’s in Scarborough, Maine.

“Sometimes people give you kind of a weird look,” he says. “Sometimes they get upset because they think Santa Claus is supposed to be ringing the Salvation Army bell. They’ll say, ‘Why are you dressed as a penguin?’ Then I have to come up with some kind of story and say, ‘Well, Santa took the day off.’ I have fun with it. They’ve come to expect me every year. They use me almost as a landmark.”

Shapp believes people give more when they see him going all out with a costume and creating a festive atmosphere at the kettle. You might say the role suits him.

“I think they enjoy it, and they like the fact that I put in the effort to wear a costume,” he says. “I try to be friendly and engage with people and talk to them. I think it definitely helps. It certainly draws attention.”

To help get through the long and often bitterly cold shifts standing at the kettle, Shapp drinks coffee and hot chocolate that appreciative shoppers often bring him.

“Sometimes I get so many I can’t drink them all and I have to start giving them away to other people,” he says. “That’s awesome that people do that. They’re taking care of me and I’m taking care of other people at the same time and making sure I can get through my shift. I keep my eye on the target and remember why I’m out there. That keeps me motivated.”

Shapp used to do 150 to 200 hours a year at the kettle but has had to cut back because of work. He recently bought a home in Westbrook and works two jobs—as a bus driver for Greater Portland Metro and at the Hannaford Forest Avenue super­market in Portland. He used to regularly attend the Portland Citadel Corps; now his work schedule calls for him to drive a bus on Sunday. Still, he finds a way to contribute.

“A lot of the people going to the corps ride the bus,” says Shapp, who has been a driver for 12 years. “I try to think of the teachings of Jesus when I’m out there every day on my bus being kind to people and treating others the way I would want to be treated myself. I try to be a light in the world like Christ teaches.”

At Hannaford, Shapp is considered a “cultural ambassador” because he speaks Russian and Italian. He often makes it a point to visit the local Salvation Army when he vacations around the world. Shapp regularly prays and reads his Bible, and he says he loves The Salvation Army and its mission to meet human needs in Jesus’ name without discrimination.

“I love The Salvation Army because it’s an organization that doesn’t just talk the talk,” he says. “It’s a boots-on-the-ground Army and gets out in the community and makes the world a better place.”

Raising money on wheels

His dedication to helping others doesn’t stop there. For the last decade, Shapp has raised about $10,000 participating in the annual Trek Across Maine for the American Lung Association, a bicycle trip encompassing 60 miles a day for three days.

Mark Shapp also raises money for the American Lung Association in the Trek Across Maine.

And Shapp has maintained a friendship with Nataluk, who’s now an envoy with The Salvation Army. Every summer Shapp takes part on his motorcycle in the Ride for the Red Shield, started by Nataluk to bene­fit the Houlton, Maine, Salvation Army. The fundraiser is in its eighth year in 2025.

Nataluk calls Shapp “a friend of The Salvation Army,” and he marvels at his adventurous spirit.

“He’s a nice guy,” Nataluk says. “He’s very giving and community minded. He likes to volunteer.”

Nataluk notes that Shapp has also climbed Maine’s Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, for several years.

“Mark does things that require some determination and some courage,” Nataluk says. “He’s an adventurer and all over the place. He’s like five different people. He’s an enigma.”

In it for the long haul

Those who look forward to seeing Shapp as the penguin bell ringer are in luck, as he has no plans to slow down anytime soon. Despite economic uncertainty and a changing consumer landscape, Shapp says people remain “tremendously generous” in his area of Maine.

“Sometimes it really surprises me how much I collect in one shift standing out there,” he says. “Every donation is valuable, no matter how small. It all adds up to something big that can make a difference in people’s lives.”

That’s what keeps him coming back year after year.

“I plan to continue ringing the bell for the rest of my life,” he says. “As long as there are people in need in the world, we must keep on keeping on. It makes me feel like I’m a valuable member of the community and not just taking, but I’m giving back. I think it’s rewarding when you help others. It helps you feel better about yourself too that you’re doing something good. I would encourage others to give. It’s better than just making money and doing everything for yourself.”

photographs by Leah Carter and courtesy of Mark Shapp