The homeless shelter currently under construction in Lansdale has received a major boost with a $1 million commitment from an Ambler-based businessman, writes Kenny Cooper for WHYY.
Montgomery County officials had hoped to open the 20-bed, year-round shelter this fall, but the ongoing construction tied to several safety upgrades has pushed the projected opening to February 2026.
The $1 million gift pledged by Nand Todi, founder and president of Penn Manufacturing Industries, is nearly a full year of the shelter’s anticipated operating costs.
“This problem of … homelessness is very close to my heart,” said Todi. “I have seen with my eyes how bad it can be and it saddened me to see that this problem exists in America, the world’s richest country – and most powerful and advanced country.”
Todi emigrated from India in 1970 with little more than his mechanical engineering training and built Penn Manufacturing Industries in 1978 by seizing the opportunities available to him. This donation is his way of giving back.
On Dec. 5, the county thanked the philanthropist and his wife, Shashi Todi, by granting them a walkthrough of the shelter with Resources for Human Development officials.
Read more about the new Lansdale shelter getting a gift from Nand Todi in WHYY.
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