ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, July 14, 1996 TAG: 9607150096
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ALEXANDRIA
SOURCE: Associated Press
THE ALEXANDRIA RESIDENT has just returned from her third trip in 14 months to Moscow, where she delivered more than 200 boxes of clothing, blankets and medical supplies.
Every time Melinda Bremmer traveled to Moscow, she would leave behind supplies for Russian orphans. Last month, she brought something back - her newly adopted 6-year-old daughter, Sara.
Sara's adoption is just the latest sign of Bremmer's crusade to make a difference in the lives of foreign orphans.
Her campaign began nearly two years ago, when she saw a photograph of a Russian orphan boy in The Washington Post.
The blond little boy, his coat buttoned tight to his neck, huddled in the doorway of a Moscow orphanage with other children, watching as two playmates, twin girls, romped outside with an American couple who had come to adopt them.
``I couldn't stop thinking about him, that sweet, innocent look on his face,'' said Bremmer, 36, of Alexandria, who operates a graphic design firm with her husband, Dennis Goris. The couple have two sons and had long contemplated adopting, and when Bremmer saw the boy in the newspaper photo, she knew he was ``the one'' for them.
He wasn't, as it turned out. Shortly after the photo was taken in Moscow, the little boy was adopted, amazingly enough, by another Fairfax family. But by then Bremmer, who had immersed herself in adoption procedures and the plight of Russian orphans, was on a mission.
``I thought, nobody is helping these kids. Why?'' she said. So she and Goris began a nonprofit humanitarian effort, named Little Friends. The small group has taken on the very large goal of getting American children active in helping abandoned or orphaned children in other countries.
Bremmer hooked up with the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital, whose members became willing foot soldiers in the campaign. She also has just returned from her third trip to Moscow in 14 months.
This time, she delivered more than 200 boxes of clothing, blankets and medical supplies - a 4,500-pound shipment to which the scouts contributed 550 individually prepared ``Peace Packs'' filled with crayons, books, toys, underwear and other items.
Now she hopes to expand her efforts by involving U.S. businesses and churches, some of which have found Little Friends through its Internet site.
Bremmer met Sara a year ago at Moscow Orphanage No.12. The little girl has cerebral palsy and is of mixed race - two strikes against her in Russian society. Her age was another obstacle to adoption.
As Bremmer toured the orphanage, she noticed Sara sitting to one side in her wheelchair, ``tears just streaming down her face.''
Bremmer asked what was wrong, and the orphanage's director replied: ``This little girl wants to be adopted more than anything, and nobody will adopt her. No one even looks at her.''
That did it. Bremmer flew back, talked to her husband, and they decided to adopt Sara.
The transition hasn't been smooth, as both sides adjust to the new situation.
But, Bremmer said, ``I know in my heart of hearts this child is going to make it. All she was asking for was to be adopted and have a family. And I felt we should give her that. Everybody deserves a chance.''
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. When Melinda Bremmer saw a photo of a Russian orphanby CNBin a newspaper two years ago, she was so moved she started the
nonprofit charity Little Friends. Her newly adopted Russian
daughter, Sara, and two sons, Cole and Henry Goris, help Bremmer
inspect Peace Packs in Alexandria, Va. These colorful bags, filled
with goodies such as crayons and underwear, were assembled by local
Girl Scouts and will be sent to orphans in Russia.