Two metro Detroit Bank of America employees received the bank’s 2023 Global Volunteer Awards.
Chris Gaitley, of Grosse Pointe Woods, and Anil Kapoor, of Highland Township, were among 80 employees (out of more than 200,000 Bank of America employees) recognized for their exceptional volunteerism in their communities.
Bank of America’s Global Volunteer Awards celebrate employees living the company’s values, and winners are recognized for their leadership and ability to make a meaningful impact. Bank of America’s Michigan Market President Matt Elliott says it was no surprise that Gaitley and Kapoor — both Merrill Lynch employees — took home the Global Volunteer honors.
“Chris and Anil’s exceptional contributions throughout the year to our Michigan communities represent the values of how Bank of America hopes to serve every community where we operate,” says Elliott. “Our team consistently steps up to answer the call, as responsible community leaders should, and the long-lasting impact of their work encapsulates how volunteerism enriches not only the lives of those we serve, but our lives as well.”
Gaitley has worked with Merrill for 40 years and currently serves as an assistant vice president at Merrill. She has volunteered at the faith-based nonprofit My Father’s Business for 25 years and served as the nonprofit’s director for the past 23. Gaitley grew up on the east side of Detroit, across the street from Grace Community Church, where the charity was founded. “Someone came to the church one day and asked for food, and we didn’t have it,” says Gaitley about the impetus for the founding of My Father’s Business. “It started as a cupboard. Now it’s a full community resource and ‘choice’ pantry where individuals decide on what they want to receive.”
My Father’s Business serves anyone in the community in need. Beyond providing basic needs such as food, clothing, and hygiene items, it also assigns a volunteer to meet with individuals to discuss what may be preventing them from improving their situation. The organization also provides referrals for free legal assistance, affordable housing resources and more.
“Detroit has been through a lot, and people are incredible, and many have not received what they should,” says Gaitley. “There are many ways for any one of us to make an impact. Every volunteer experience is an opportunity to show love and respect for another individual, and an honor to walk with them through a challenge toward a goal.”
Kapoor, who has worked in the advisor development program at Merrill for 10 years, has been volunteering with the Salvation Army since 2014. He started volunteering with its meal delivery program, a “Bed and Bread” truck, which provides food for the hungry 365 days a year. “It completely opened my eyes about the impact people can make, and I wanted to be a part of it,” Kapoor says.
Kapoor started an Echelon chapter of the Salvation Army, an arm of the nonprofit that mobilizes the next generation of leadership through networking, volunteering, and fundraising. Each chapter connects with young professionals to educate them about the Salvation Army’s work to fight human trafficking, substance abuse and hunger. Since 2014, Kapoor’s has been instrumental in creating more than 50 Echelon chapters nationwide. “We live in a world that is incredibly advanced and things almost feel too accessible for some of us,” says Kapoor about his motivation. “But you go down the street and people are very distant from the reality you or I live in. I have a responsibility to leave my community better than when I got here.”
