When Ellen Trapp's dogs died, Meals on Wheels volunteers urged her to adopt a new pet 

For Ellen Trapp, having volunteers from Meals on Wheels stop by regularly means a lot more than a hot meal. 

After her two dogs -- Frieda and Shelby, a fox terrier and a rat terrier, respectively -- died in April, the Stapleton resident grieved for her four-legged companions. 

Meals on Wheels volunteers recommended that she call the Animal Care and Control shelter in Charleston to adopt another dog. 

Last week, Mrs. Trapp's daughter, Ellan, stopped by the Veterans Road West shelter and brought home Rosco, a brown, 8-month-old German shepherd/Mexican hairless mix. 

The dog is great, said Ellen Trapp, 85, a 1979 Advance Woman of Achievement. I don't like to be without a dog. 

Mrs. Trapp, a longtime member of the former Staten Island Community School Board and the only African-American to serve as its chairwoman, relies on Meals on Wheels because she has a hard time cooking for herself. 

It's a big help to me, said Mrs. Trapp, who has lived on Clinton Street for 61 years. 

Meals on Wheels, which is funded through the Department of the Aging and donations, is available to seniors and the homebound, age 60 and older. 
Volunteers not only deliver meals and take time to talk to clients, they also try to guide them to various services that might benefit them. 

That help was critical to Mrs. Trapp, her daughter said, and brought a smile back to her face. 

We were without a dog for a long time, Ellan Trapp said, adding that her mother enjoys having a pet in the house. 
She said, 'I like the bark.' 

Copyright © Global Action on Aging
Terms of Use  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us