How about hobbies? If everyone in the group is passionate about fishing, knitting, model airplanes, flower bouquets, wood working, painting or something like that, you’ll have plenty to talk about. If you talk to people, and get to know them a little better, you’ll suddenly begin to feel more connected.

Hobbies are the best way to meet people wanting to do something (beside looking at their phones, I mean).

• I was into scale models, people would meet to do (and to talk) scale models.
• I play chess (irl), people will meet to play (and to talk) chess
• Sketching/painting/photo/art. Here in my city it's not hard to find people that like to do urban sketching or go out to take pictures, or go to expo, museums and so on.

Have you look around what IRL activities are related to hobbies you may be into? You may also ask your local public library, if they do not organize activities themselves they will probably have info on some other org doing it.