Merced couple receives lifetime achievement awards for volunteer work

At age 87, Floyd Jensen of Merced likes to keep busy. The retired Merced firefighter and his wife divide their time between Merced and a federal Bureau of Land Management campground in Oregon.

The Jensens were honored recently by the BLM for their volunteer efforts as campground hosts at Fishermen’s Bend Recreation Site, 2 miles from Mill City, Ore. They were honored with the BLM’s Making a Difference Lifetime Achievement Award for contributing more than 17,000 hours of volunteer service at the park.

“We’re enjoying ourselves,” Jensen said. “I figure I will retire next year at age 88 but they want us to keep coming. It’s the people we meet each day that keep us coming back.” They have been volunteering there for 12 years.

The Jensens arrive at Fishermen’s Bend in early April with their 36-foot motor home to help prepare the park for opening. After the park opens, they greet and provide information to visitors, check in campers, sell firewood, keep the restrooms and campsites clean, and train new hosts. They also assist the park manager with the recycling program, volunteer youth groups and invasive species removal.

Opal Jensen, 84, said they were really surprised and honored with the BLM award. She said they enjoy being campground hosts and it keeps them young. They take care of 14 spaces at the campground and stay there until October before returning to Merced.

“Very few people get that award,” she said. “We can’t wait to go back. It’s just a good vacation, really.”

Floyd Jensen was a member of the Merced Fire Department from 1949 to 1982, retiring as assistant chief. He enjoys rough carpentry and woodworking, including building cabinets for supplies and birdhouses.

The Jensens participated in the Washington, D.C., awards ceremony via videoconference in Portland.

BLM Director Neil Kornze said the agency relies greatly on the support of volunteer efforts, enlisting the services of more than 30,000 volunteers who perform a wide variety of tasks throughout the nation. The Jensens were one of nine winners selected for the BLM award.

This story was originally published November 27, 2014 at 7:08 PM with the headline "Merced couple receives lifetime achievement awards for volunteer work."