31. No friends in Houston. Reeling from social isolation. Looking for ideas

I have been working from home for 2 years and I am so socially deprived it's starting to mess with my mind. The problem is I'm not great at directly socializing. Meaning, I do better if I spend time around people, with a focus on an activity but socializing secondary/optional. Like a classroom or an in-person work environment. But both are off the table

Things I have tried:

• One meetup group but it didn't hit the spot. They were nice but already a tightly knit group and I felt like the odd one out. Maybe I am too introverted

• Volunteering at a cat shelter. It was a weird experience. 1 hour shift, one volunteer at a time, in a pet shop with just 1 cat in a cage. I was expecting a group of people or more animals

• A positive community group for kids/teens to better their lives. Volunteering weekly. This was nice but it was an hour drive away. And most of the interactions was with kids instead of fellow adults. Kids are great, but I didn't feel entirely at ease. I might give it another shot

• My old university. I went to an event but felt out of place all alone. I might join a student organization if I'm allowed to as an alumni

Besides that, I might consider volunteering at the houston zoo. I do great with animals and enjoy talking to clients/visitors. I considered church as well, just so I can participate in some community projects, collaborating with others. But my therapist was worried church may not be a good idea since I'm agnostic and look… well let's just say I might attract the wrong attention

Any other ideas? Or guidance? Thanks for reading ._.