Blue Ridge Hospice plans a spring luncheon program for the community on Wednesday, April 22, in the Parish Hall of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 105 E. Washington Street in Middleburg. The event begins at 11:30 a.m.

Entitled "When Evening Comes," the forum features noted author and longtime Blue Ridge Hospice supporter, Christine Andreae. She will speak on her work as a hospice patient care volunteer and how the experience opened doorways to life's passages for her.

For reservations call Blue Ridge Hospice, 540-313-9267 or email dmank@blueridgehospice.org.

A writer and artist, Andreae lives in the Shenandoah Valley where she and her architect husband hand-built their home and raised their two sons. She is an award-winning author of four crime novels, all set in Montana where Christine and her family spent summer vacations hiking and riding in the back country. A committed community volunteer, Andreae worked as a hospice volunteer for 10 years. In the hope of bringing hospice work to more public recognition, she wrote about her experiences with her patients in When Evening Comes. Her memoir was a Library of Virginia Award finalist for 2001. Andreae is also actively involved with land preservation and is a founding director of the Scenic 340 Project, Inc., an environmental advocacy group.

Blue Ridge Hospice's spring event is being offered at no charge. It begins with a reception at 11:30 a.m., and a buffet lunch will be served at noon, followed by Andreae's talk.

Blue Ridge Hospice, a not-for-profit hospice organization, opened a location in Middleburg several years ago in collaboration with Emmanuel Episcopal Church. It is celebrating 34 years of service to the counties of Loudoun, Fauquier, Frederick, Clarke, Warren, Shenandoah, Rappahannock, and the City of Winchester. Blue Ridge Hospice also maintains an eight-bed inpatient hospice center in downtown Winchester.