Most of us at Ben Jen Holdings are located in the northeastern part of the United States, where things are starting to reopen and resume some degree of normalcy, after spending over 100 days locked down due to COVID-19. Infection rates are surging throughout the country as many states ease restrictions to allow businesses to resume operations and to try and resume some degree of normal economic activity. Some of us at Ben Jen Holdings have experienced first hand the effects of COVID-19 and we were fortunate enough to have lived through it. We are sharing some of our wisdom and tips on how to stay healthy and safe as life during COVID-19 continues to make an impact on our lives.

Take Care of Yourself

Make sure you are eating healthy with well balanced meals. With so many people working from home on a regular basis, it’s hard to avoid snacking and avoid overeating. Reach for healthier snacks and options such as fruit instead of reaching for sugary substitutes.

Exercise regularly by walking regularly, and taking appropriate social distancing measures with people around you. If you’re going for a walk around your neighborhood, make sure you wear a mask and to keep appropriately distanced from others around you.

Avoid alcohol and drugs when possible. The occasional glass of wine or bottle of beer is OK, but don’t over indulge. Try and limit consumption to 1 glass/1 beer a day and to limit the usage of drugs that are smoked/inhaled. Not only does this negatively impact your lungs, but it also significantly increases your chases of developing complications such as pneumonia and other life threatening conditions if you were to get COVID-19.

Take Care of Your Fellow Neighbors and Community Members

Whenever you’re out in public, at the grocery store, inside a place of business, or are near others outside, wear a mask. Wearing masks helps decreases the chances of transmission of droplets passed between individuals. COVID-19 droplets can be transmitted from coughing, chewing, speaking, and yawning. Avoid transmission at all costs, and consider those with immunocomprised systems and the elderly by wearing your masks at all times. Wearing a mask especially for prolonged periods in the summer may be hot and uncomfortable, but you are saving your life and others around you when you wear one. It is worth risking some moments of discomfort if it means helping save lives around you, and most importantly, your own.

Stay Away From Large Crowds

As difficult it is to stay away from beaches, parks, and other leisure and recreational activities, especially in nice weather, just know that in large groups, there’s a greater chance of transmission. Wear a mask at all times in large crowds to prevent transmission. Consider visiting places during less busy times of the day such as in the evenings or making alternate plans.

Get Tested Regularly

Testing has become more widespread and available, and several pharmacies and walk-in urgent care clinics now offer walk-in appointments and drive-through appointments for COVID-19. If you’re going to be out and about, consider getting tested on a weekly basis, and if you test positive, or show symptoms, immediately self isolate to prevent the spread or chances of spreading COVID-19.

Consider Donating Blood

Blood supplies are in short reserves across the United States. If you’re able-bodied, and willing, consider donating blood and platelets to the American Red Cross, www.redcrossblood.org. For a limited time, the Red Cross is testing donors for COVID-19 antibodies. Many drives are full as they are taking extra precautions and time to process each donor, but it is well worth the wait and each whole blood unit donation has the possibility of saving 3 lives.

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General Announcements & Housekeeping

We added a calendar feature to our Homepage that is reflecting of events that Ben Jen Holdings will be attending in the coming weeks. This makes it easier for prospective companies looking for seed funding to reach out to us and to make a direct pitch to us. Registration links to various events in which we are participating at are available in the calendar on the Homepage, and we highly encourage those seeking funding to reach out to us at upcoming events.

Meet Our Venture Associates

We recently added to our team of Venture Associates, meet the team if you haven’t had a chance to meet them.

Free Ear Savers for First Responders and Essential Workers

Reach out to us via our Contact Form if you’re a first responder or an essential worker. We have free ear savers in which we’re distributing in partnership with Glowforge. Glowforge is a manufacturer of 3D printers and we have been handing our ear savers to individuals and companies within our portfolio. Reach out to us if you’d like to have one for yourself.

In closing, we at Ben Jen Holdings are taking precautions in ensuring that everyone remains safe, and we hope that all of you are taking appropriate measures to keeping safe and isolated as much as possible. We hope everyone remains safe and we will be around to continue serving and working with the community as things develop.