High School Student Leaving Volunteer Legacy At Newton Retirement Home

NEWTON, MA — Resident Matthew Ding has made his impact in his years of volunteering at 2 Life Communities. The high school student has dedicated a lot of time helping out and forging bonds at the Golda Meir House on Stanton Avenue.

Ding began volunteering at the retirement community when he was in fifth grade, with the opportunity arising because his grandfather was a resident. His diverse duties include working at the front desk, providing technical support, and teaching language classes to residents. In one instance, he spent the day watching movies with a resident after helping to fix their DVD player.
Ding is also a pianist, and before his volunteer days he would play the piano in the lobby and perform for the residents. This spontaneous playing turned into semi-regular concerts as part of his volunteer work and contributions to the community.

“It taught me early on that small efforts can have a big emotional impact,” Ding said. “Walking through the halls with my grandpa, people recognize me, and say ‘Oh, you’re the person who plays piano.’”