The Allentown Rescue Mission is excited to announce the recognition of Kris and Preeta Kapoor for their dedicated service and commitment to men experiencing homelessness in the Greater Lehigh Valley with an award named in their honor.

The ceremony to present the Kapoor Cares Award was held at the Allentown Rescue Mission March 21.

Each year after, the newly created Kapoor Cares Award will recognize a deserving supporter of the Allentown Rescue Mission who demonstrates the same philanthropic spirit as Kris and Preeta Kapoor.

The couple’s continuous dedication to the Allentown Rescue Mission has changed the lives of countless men.

After graduating from Delhi College of Engineering, Mr. Kapoor moved to the United States to work as a design engineer for the Fuller Company.

In 1986, he, along with five other executives, bought the Fuller company and sold it to F.L. Smidth in 1991.

Mr. Kapoor then moved into the real estate arena and committed himself to the greater good of the Lehigh Valley.

He founded and served the Hindu Temple Society of Allentown and served on many boards of Directors, including the Allentown Rescue Mission.

In the 1960s, Mr. Kapoor lived in the Allentown area and often walked by the Mission.

“I developed a habit, you know, of making the sign of the cross as I walked by the big cross outside of the building,” Kapoor recounted when describing his connection to the Mission.

Mr. and Mrs. Kapoor prepared and served meals at the Mission during the holidays for many years.

As time passed, they continued to support the long-time Mission efforts of feeding and sheltering men experiencing homelessness through in-kind and monetary donations.

“Oh Lord, I came to this world empty-handed, and I will go empty-handed. Oh Lord, it is You, who gave me. It is You, who is giving, not I,” Mr. Kapoor said.

Eventually, Mr. Kapoor’s devotion to the Mission led him to serve on the board of directors where he faithfully served for many years.

In 2022, the Mission named the shelter’s dining room the “Kris and Preeta Kapoor Dining Room” as a thank you for their generous donations and continuous support of the Mission.

At that time, Mr. Kapoor said, “There is no greater good than to feed and help those in need.”

Skip Smith, CEO of the Allentown Rescue Mission, said, “Kris and Preeta have been long-time supporters of the Allentown Rescue Mission dating back before, during and after his contributions as a board member. Their ongoing and substantial generosity is instrumental to accomplishing our mission to Rescue, Rehabilitate and Restore men experiencing homelessness.”

Mr. and Mrs. Kapoor’s additional philanthropic endeavors include a transformational gift to support scholarships for Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine and the largest donation to expand the Hindu Temple Society in Allentown.

“We completely believe in sharing our blessings, God has been very kind to us and at this point, we don’t need very much to live. We are on the last leg of our journey in this world and it’s our duty to help the less fortunate in our community we have called our home for 65 years,” Mrs. Kapoor respectfully shared.

To refer someone to the Allentown Rescue Mission for services or to learn ways you can help make a difference, visit allentownrescuemission.org.