Until last year, I thought volunteering was mainly about efficient people giving time to those who needed help. That view changed when I joined a neighbourhood food-sharing project. On my first evening, I immediately started reorganising the boxes because the system seemed slow. I expected the coordinator to be pleased. Instead, she asked me to spend twenty minutes talking to the regular volunteers before changing anything. At first, I found that frustrating. However, I soon learned that the unusual system existed because several older residents could not carry heavy bags and some families collected food for neighbours as well as themselves. What looked inefficient to me was actually designed around people I had not considered. By the end of the month, I was still suggesting improvements, but I asked questions before offering solutions. The experience changed my perspective on helping others. Good intentions matter, but they are not enough if you assume you understand a problem before listening to the people who live with it. Since then, I have become much more cautious about confusing speed with usefulness.