Klara’s mission to bring Christmas joy to children in care

Published: December 17, 2025

It began as a passion project when she was 9 years old, but since then Auckland teenager Klara Collett has collected more than 10,000 Christmas presents for children in care.

Transcript

Klara’s present drive video: transcript

 

Klara: 
I was nine.

 

Klara at nine years old:
I'm here to talk to you about a topic that is very special to me.
Foster care. Let me share with you my family's personal story.

 

Klara:
I don't think I knew what I was getting myself into.

 

Klara at nine years old:
My parents were unable to have a baby, so they decided to foster a child.

 

Mum: 
In year six, they do this exhibition, and she chose foster care because she wanted to understand the journey her brothers were on before coming into our family.

 

Klara at nine: 
One day these two beautiful brothers popped up and came to stay with my mum and dad. 18 months later, guess what happened? I turned up and mum and dad ended up with three cheeky children.

 

Dad: 
It was overwhelming for me, you know, to have three in such a short period of time. It was unreal.

 

Mum: 
We felt very full and privileged and just very fortunate. It felt like that was the way our family was meant to be.

 

Klara:
My brothers like my best friends. They're just my biggest supporters in life and I wouldn't trade them for the world. I knew what my brothers went through and I knew that they went without.

 

Dad: 
She went into the Takapuna office of OT and she worked out that the kids didn't get presents.

 

Klara:
And that's where it all began and I then decided that I was going to do the Christmas present drive for the first year. Now I'm 17 in year 12 and it's increased significantly from a hundred presents to around 1500 this year.

I do a lot of fundraising that goes on throughout the year. The message really gets out there and we get thousands of items donated through the school.

Dad:
She's a bit like the All Blacks head coach, you know? She's just assumed this overarching role and she just bosses people around, especially her mum and dad.

 

Dad: 
I deliver things for the present drives. I don't know if that...

 

Mum:  And pick up.

 

Dad: Oh, pick up and drop off.

 

Mum: 
You're the courier.

 

Dad: 
I'm the courier, essentially. That's my involvement.

 

Mum: 
Yeah, and I'm probably the, I call myself the PA. Yeah. Because I just do what I’m told.

 

Mum:

She's a giver and she wants to give and she wants to be able to make a difference in other people's lives. We’re hugely proud.

 

Klara: 
Spent a lot of time thinking about all those boys and girls out there. They can open that present and be like, wow, this is the best gift ever.

 

Dad: 
Klara's done this for seven years and next year she finishes at school and that's it. She goes on to a new part of her life. That's the coolest thing out of everything, that it doesn't stop when Klara finishes at school is that that project keeps going.

 

Klara: 
I want to make a change, not just with the drive because obviously next year I'm graduating and I will move on from the drive at school, but rest assured there's other ways that I can make a difference.

 

End of transcript

Klara, now aged 17, says her older brothers, Cam and Levi, are the inspiration for her present drive.

“My brothers have always been there for me, always will. They’re my biggest supporters in life and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.”

Klara’s parents, Darrin and Tracey Collett started exploring adoption more than 20 years ago after an IVF journey.

At the time, there were hundreds more applicants to adopt than there were children, so ‘home for life’ was recommended.

‘Home for life’ is a permanent care arrangement for children, secured by legal orders. Permanent caregivers can also be joint guardians with the birth parents.

Our family was meant to be

Levi and Cam were 5 and 2 years old when they were placed with Darrin and Tracey. Not long afterwards, Tracey fell pregnant with Klara.

“It just felt so natural for us, it felt like that was the way our family was meant to be.”

Klara describes Cam and Levi as her ‘security guards and biggest protectors’.

Klara and her brothers
Klara, Cam and Levi on holiday as children.

We have a lot of fun together and have always been really close.

Klara Collett

Klara’s present drive began in year 6 at school when she was asked to do a project about something close to her heart. Klara knew instantly that she wanted to raise awareness of the care system and learn more about her brothers’ backgrounds.

Finding out more about the care system

Klara contacted the Oranga Tamariki Takapuna site. She met with Jacki Lenton, Supervisor Caregiver and Vivian Jang, Practice Leader, to learn more about children’s experiences in care.

One of the things that stayed with Klara was the reflection that some children in care received less at Christmas.

After talking with her brothers, Klara decided to try and collect 100 presents. She wrapped and donated them to the Takapuna site for Christmas. 

That year, Klara gave a speech at her school assembly to share her family story, talk about children in care, and encourage her school community to donate gifts. Gift collection boxes were set up around her school.

Christmas is about joy and coming together and love. It’s supposed to be happy, supposed to be fun.

Klara Collett

Seven years of collecting Christmas presents for children in care

7 years on, more than 10,000 presents have gone to tamariki in care, and more than $57,000 has been raised to purchase further gifts. Gifts include everything from snuggle toys, sensory items and clothing to books, wellness products, makeup, and sporting equipment.

Klara now donates gifts to tamariki through 8 sites across Tāmaki Makaurau including Takapuna, Ōrewa, Westgate, Panmure, Grey Lynn, Mangere, Homai and Manurewa.

“I spend a lot of time thinking about all those boys and girls out there and how they can open that present and be like, wow, this is the best gift ever."

Christmas bags full of presents
Christmas gift bags Klara organises for caregivers

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