my neighbor is 81 and lost her husband last month. she has no kids, and i noticed she stopped tending her garden and rarely left her house. she was just fading away. so now, every night when i make dinner for my family, i set aside an extra plate and bring it over. we sit on her porch for 30 minutes and just talk. she told me yesterday that our little chats are the only reason she looks forward to the day. it costs me almost nothing, just a bit of food and time... but it means the world to her.