When she was 8 years old, the Wānaka-raised youngster was so concerned residents in the local care home didn’t have visitors, she took it upon herself to volunteer there most days before school.
That was just the beginning.
By the time she was 10, she was a youth cadet for Hato Hone St John in Wānaka, learning first aid and emergency training.
Fast-forward 15 years, and Ms Swift is now assistant divisional manager for the Green Island St John youth division.
This year, she is also fronting the annual Hato Hone St John appeal.
By day, Ms Swift works as a customer service representative for Contact Energy, based in Dunedin. She joined Contact Energy two years ago and in her spare time, educates community groups and businesses on how to perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
The skills she developed volunteering for Hato Hone St John were very useful in her role at Contact, she said.
"I love talking to customers ... I get a real sense of satisfaction when, by the end of the call, I have been able to provide them with a solution."
Ms Swift has experienced heartbreaking times when customers, particularly elderly ones, call Contact Energy’s contact centre because they have no-one else to talk to.
"Fortunately, Hato Hone St John offers a Caring Caller free service where people can just call up to have a yarn, so I encourage these customers to give them a buzz."
She has also provided CPR and AED first aid training to some of the Contact team in Dunedin and she’s looking to play a supporting role in rolling out a wider first aid training programme.
MORE INFO: Hato Hone St John’s annual appeal takes place throughout June. This year’s theme is Light the Way (lighttheway.stjohn.org.nz).
