West spends his free time serving others

Nominated as a Difference Maker by Greene County Humane Society Executive Director Michelle Chapman, Rick West of Linton has a full-time job, working at Redbird SRA, but that’s not what gets him out of bed in the morning.

They say a man can be judged by the way he treats those who can do nothing for him. If that is the case, West would surely be judged a compassionate man.

A man like West, who raises beagles and bloodhounds, is seldom afforded the luxury of sleeping in, but what motivates West the most is helping.

Whether he is helping man or beast, West is tireless when helping others. In March 2017, he purchased a 1977 Chevrolet short bus to restore and utilize to haul musical equipment and off-road vehicles. Formerly used by hunters, the bus sported a camouflage paint job inside and out.

“I wanted to get it painted, but I thought it would be a great project for a group of younger people,” West said.

He called around to area schools and one group in Evansville was interested, but West wanted to keep it as local as possible so that the finished work could be seen by those who created it.

“I wanted it to be a rolling tribute to the artistic kids of Greene County,” he said. “Not every kid can be a football star but every kid has something good to offer the world and this is proof of that.”

That August, West heard back from a Linton-Stockton Visual Arts teacher, who said her students would be happy to take on the project.

The students used recycled and donated materials, plus gallons of paint and creativity to transform the old hunting bus into a mobile work of art which West takes everywhere in the Greene County community he can, showing the whole county what kids can do when given the freedom to express themselves.

He appears in parades and local celebrations, later inviting people onto the bus to see the wonders it contains and marvel at the work of the art students.

Art is not West’s only passion by far.

“Rick loves animals,” Chapman said. “He has been involved with the shelter for many years. Any time I have needed help with anything at the shelter, no matter how big or how small, he is always right there to help and he never expects anything in return for his hard work.”

Working outside the shelter, West was intrigued by the eight or so unused acres adjacent to the property.

“I was just looking at what was there and I saw some real potential for the land,” he said.

Envisioning a series of trails where dog owners can bring their pups to exercise, romp and sniff to their heart’s delight, West began the project that the shelter hopes will turn the unused acreage into something both humans and canines can enjoy.

Having recently joined the Greene County Humane Society Board of Directors, West proposed the project to the other members, who responded positively, and then he got to work.

“Solely on a volunteer basis, Rick has spent countless hours out there,” Chapman said. “Clearing the trails, cutting through the undergrowth, taking out an old metal fence, making plans to create safe crossings over the old creek beds and designing a series of trails that will serve to provide a place for prospective dog owners who come to the shelter with a place to take one of the dogs for a walk to see their personality outside the shelter environment. He has done all of this work by himself, in the heat of summer and I’ve never heard him complain.”

West has many ideas for the best use of the property, all of which will benefit Greene County residents, human as well as canine.

Events for dog owners, such as a Halloween “haunted trail,” are being considered and West hopes to install benches, picnic tables and maybe a gazebo on the trails.

“I think it would be neat to put benches at the more scenic parts of the trail,” West said. “It’s a really pretty piece of the woods with a view of the pond and it will be great to give the community a place to come out with their dogs and just enjoy. They don’t even have to have a dog, just come out for some nature time,” he said.