My experience is that most people want a friend who will make them feel better about themselves. To initiate a friendship with someone often starts out as a one-way street. You do everything for them and they don't do much for you. However, eventually, once they realize how much they enjoy having you around, then they'll start to take a greater interest in you and your situation. So it's a long road to go down and you have to decide if it is worth the trouble or not.