This is a composite, illustrative example, not a single named individual's account.
One solo ager joined his neighborhood's village network mainly for help with rides to medical appointments. Within a year, the volunteer who most often drove him had become a genuine friend, and he'd started attending the village's monthly social events regularly — a practical need turning into real community.
The lesson: services-focused programs like village networks often become social ones too, if you stay engaged beyond the initial practical need.