Dr. Renato Rivera of Breese has collected donations to give back to his native homeland in the Philippines. As part of Operation Giving Back: Bohol Mission, Dr. Rivera has been instrumental in helping collect money and sending it overseas to help needy families receive food and housing. Families receive food packs of rice and canned goods with donations from others. ‘Tis the season for giving and one local resident is giving back to his native homeland.
Dr. Renato Rivera of Breese has been helping his native homeland in the Philippines for close to 20 years.
Organized in 2005 by Dr. Rivera and local doctors and nurses, the Operation Giving Back: Bohol Mission provided free surgical operations to the less fortunate brothers and sisters in Bohol, Philippines.
For years, Dr. Rivera and a team of other doctors and staff from St. Joseph's Hospital in Breese traveled to Bohol, an island in the Philippines, to perform free surgeries for the needy.
Between 2005 and 2020, the medical, surgical and nursing teams of volunteers were able to provide approximately 2,000 major surgical operations to prolong and improve the quality of life for those people.
Following the COVID pandemic, as well as aging, Dr. Rivera and his team stopped going to the Philippines, but wanted to keep helping the Bohol residents.
In 2023, the mission to start feeding the hungry program every month was established.
Dr. Rivera collects monetary donations and sends them overseas to his native homeland, where "food packs" of rice and canned goods were distributed to over 100 poor families in the Bohol area.
Dr. Rivera said the area's main food source is fishing, so there is no food during bad weather, hence, why they send out food packs to residents.
The mission also donates toward building small bamboo huts for the homeless.
"It's a very poor area, but the citizens are always very thankful and appreciative," said Dr. Rivera.
He added that helping his native community for nearly 20 years was made possible through the generous and kind-hearted citizens of Clinton County and the surrounding area.
Dr. Rivera not only credits his native roots but also credits the people of Clinton County for their graciousness as well.
"To me, it's like a miracle is spreading," he said. "There are so many good people in this world and you don't know until you are doing something good."
Dr. Rivera is grateful and very thankful for those who have donated and helped out in any way.
"On behalf of all the people from Bohol, Philippines, I whole-heartedly and sincerely thank all the financial donors and medical, surgical and nursing teams," said Dr. Rivera. "Without them, there is no mission. May God bless you abundantly!"
Team members include Jeanette Reynolds RN, Paulette Evans RN, Kathy Jascur CST, Marilyn Athmer RN, Dr. Penny Gozia, Vicky Riley RN, Jessica Wessel, Julie Stockman, Karen Lager, Jennifer Thole, Dr. Butalid, Dr. Jose Diaz, Amy Wylder, along with doctors and nurses from New York, Utah, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, Australia and the Philippines.
If anyone wishes to donate toward helping those in the Philippines, checks can be made payable to "Operation Giving Back: Bohol Mission" and can be sent to Operation Giving Back: Bohol Mission: Attn: Dr. Renato Rivera, 14120 St. James Lane, Breese, IL 62230.
