LA GRANDE — Elves are magical, according to Germanic mythology.

The five members of the Union County Stitch Witches 4-H club are not magicians, but they are doing something magical this Christmas season — helping elves reach out to foster children.

The five youths, Karly Burgess, Karlee Patterson, Whitley Gunderson, Aubrey Bisenius and Jill Moran, recently purchased nearly 50 personalized gifts for foster children in Wallowa, Union and Baker counties. The five members of Stitch Witches, a sewing and quilting club, went shopping to assist Elves on a Mission, a community service organization that focuses on helping foster children in Northeast Oregon.

The gifts, all purchased with money members of Stitch Witches raised, were presented to Elves on a Mission early this week. Members of Elves on a Mission will wrap the presents and later present them to eight foster children in Union, Wallowa and Baker counties.

The presents purchased for the foster children include a remote control model car, blankets, socks, art supplies, Barbie dolls and nail polish.

Amy Patterson, the mother of Karlee Patterson, is delighted with how the members of the 4-H club are making sure foster children get to enjoy Christmas as much as others.

“This group of kids sometimes gets overlooked,” Patterson said of foster children.

The presents purchased were presented to Lowann VanLeuven, a Union County resident and a co-founder of Elves on a Mission. VanLeuven was touched by what the 4-H members had done to reach out to the foster children.

“It is a huge thing,” she said.

VanLeuven added that by giving, the 4-H club members will forever feel a connection to foster kids.

“You will be carrying this with you the rest of your lives,” she said.

The presents purchased were specifically requested by the foster children, ensuring they will be receiving exactly what they requested.

Karly Burgess said it was gratifying to know that each present her 4-H club purchased had been requested by a foster child.

“We were able to find exactly what they liked,” she said. “It makes me happy to be able to give kids what they want.”

VanLeuven said foster children should be able to enjoy Christmas with the same joy that other youths their age do.

Elves on a Mission was founded about five years ago and since that time it has provided 5,000 gifts for foster kids in Wallowa, Union, and Baker counties, according to Chris Kurtz of Tigard, who co-founded the program with VanLueven. Elves on a Mission also helps foster kids year-round by providing school supplies, birthday presents and even trips to receive awards.

The Stitch Witches 4-H club is guided by co-leaders Sherry Nantz and Regina Kruse. Nantz said she her club’s members have a charitable nature.

“They like doing community service,” she said.