A recent Sip & Shop event at BD Provisions offered special shopping hours and refreshments in exchange for partial proceeds from the evening’s sales being donated to Regional Hospice.

The South Main Street specialty grocery store invited customers to do some later-evening shopping on Friday, March 22, when employees kept the store open later than its regular 6 pm closing time. Partial profits from the three-hour event were then donated to the regional hospice center in Danbury that has served Newtown and the area for 40 years.

Tuesday morning, BD Provisions Owner Cynthia Boccuzzi welcomed Regional Hospice Marketing & Development Coordinator Barbara Patrick into the store and a donation check was handed off. Based in Danbury and founded in 1983, Regional Hospice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to approach death by creating human connection and honoring each unique journey through a shared vision for living.

The Regional Hospice Center for Comfort Care & Healing offers 12 state-of-the-art suites in Danbury, with hospital quality services in a comfortable homelike setting. The interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, hospice aides, social workers, chaplains, bereavement counselors and hospice-trained volunteers also cares for patients and their loved ones in their homes, assisted living and nursing facilities, and in dedicated, private hospice suites at Danbury, New Milford and Norwalk Hospitals.

Its service area covers Fairfield County, much of Litchfield County, and some of New Haven County. Located within Highland Plaza at 123 South Main Street, BD Provisions opened its Newtown store in November 2018.

It is a source for over 300 bulk teas, spices, grains, snacks, candy, dried fruits, nuts, baking ingredients and more, sold by weight; in-store roasted coffee beans, also sold by weight; artisanal olive oils, vinegar, and local honey on tap; all-natural health and wellness products; and a range of gifting items.

BD Provisions also seeks to do its best to provide customers with an environmentally friendly way to shop by encouraging people to bring in reusable containers, such as glass mason jars or biodegradable bags. In addition to Sip & Shop style events, BD Provisions — which has a second Connecticut store in New Milford and a storefront in Severna Park, Md. — partners with organizations to sell its locally roasted coffee and loose-leaf teas to raise funds for charities, teams, and nonprofit organizations.