Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton met at the intersection of a wrong number and a bold invitation. A decade later, they’re still celebrating Thanksgiving together and their unlikely friendship remains inspiring.
It began with a text Dench sent to one of her six grandchildren, inviting her to Thanksgiving dinner in 2016.
When Hinton, then a 17-year-old high school senior, opened the text, she suspected it might have come from her own grandmother, who was not so technologically savvy. She asked for a photo, and when Dench sent her a selfie – clearly not of her grandmother – she responded with a selfie of her own and a cheeky question.
When Hinton asked if she could still have a Thanksgiving plate, Dench didn’t hesitate. He offered her a seat at his family table. After all, what are grandmothers for?
The exchange went viral, and when Americans heard that Hinton had actually spent that Thanksgiving with Dench and her family, they ate it up.
“My grandson was teasing me that ‘We should take the technology away from Grandma, because she doesn’t know how to use it properly,'” Dench said, “but it wasn’t my fault! My grandson was the one who changed his phone number, and Jamal did that.”
The Internet public immediately dubbed Dench the “Thanksgiving Grandma.”
But this was not a one-time viral stunt. The pair has celebrated every Thanksgiving together since then, except for last year, when Dench was battling breast cancer. As she went through treatment last year, Hinton FaceTimed her for a virtual Thanksgiving celebration.
Capturing this pair has become an annual good news. For a decade now, the pair has been making headlines for their unique friendship that has seen them through love, loss, and many a pumpkin pie.
The public was hungry for its seat at the table from the beginning. Jamal said that when he arrived at Wanda’s house the day before Thanksgiving, he could barely find a parking space with all the reporters and camera crews who were there for the day.
“We couldn’t eat dinner without someone asking us questions. It was crazy, but it was still amazing. It’s a beautiful house, a beautiful family,” Hinton said, recalling how Dench’s late husband Lonnie asked her question after question about her life. The cameramen probably wanted to take photos, but Lonnie was really curious to get to know his new guest.
Dench’s home-cooked dinner was a hit. Hinton said he was not a fan of pumpkin pie until he tasted it.
“I’m all about sweets,” Dench said.
At that time, America was changing.
Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. The Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum as hundreds of people marched in the streets to protest police brutality. The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series in over 100 years, and Taylor Swift feuded with Kanye West.
The nation has seen significant changes since then, and so have Hinton and Dench.
Dench remembered what her husband said to her after coming home from a night shift, nearly a year before he died of complications from COVID-19 in 2020.
“He woke me up and said he had a message for me from God,” Dench said. “He said, ‘God ain’t done with you and Jamal yet.'” He explained to his wife that America needed healing, and both were being used as tools to help heal the country.
Dench said, “At the time I didn’t understand what he was saying, but I took it to heart.”
She said it’s heartening to read the comments each year about how her story has impacted people.
He said, “I didn’t intend to do that. I didn’t do it intentionally. It’s just a blessing.”
As the world grappled with the loss and uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, and Dench mourned her husband’s passing, Hinton was there to offer his support.
The first Thanksgiving celebration in 2020 without Lonnie was a small gathering, attended by a few close family members and Hinton. Dench said that being around family, along with good food and good support, helped.
“We placed a plate with a candle on our dining room table, representing my husband being there in spirit,” she said. “And then every year after that, it got easier.”
Together they have kept old traditions alive, such as going around the table each year to share what they are grateful for. Dench said her answer is the same every year: her family — which now includes Hinton.
They have also created new traditions. Some Thanksgivings before, they would stay up until 2 a.m. playing board games. Now, games are as much a part of their annual tradition as turkey.
But this unlikely pair’s accidental kinship now extends beyond the end of November.
When Dench was ready to get her first tattoo, she called Hinton asking for advice on where to go. He did a better job and accompanied her on the appointment.
She received three shooting stars to represent her late husband, mother and father.
Dench said, “It was really exciting. It was fun.”
Hinton, now 26, says he has come a long way from the self-described wisdom he had when he was 17, when he and Dench first met.
He said, “I feel like I know very little in the world and now I’m willing to listen and learn from anyone.”
Hinton now works as a business owner and sales director, but he is most proud of his role as a youth basketball coach: “I never envisioned myself becoming a coach.”
This year it’s Hinton’s turn to host. They will celebrate at her aunt’s house in Phoenix, and Dench, who is in much better health, will be in attendance. She said she was looking forward to meeting Hinton’s family for the first time and thanking them for raising such a wonderful man.
“Growing up, my favorite moments were on Thanksgiving, because I knew my whole family was coming to my grandmother’s house, and I was going to see all my cousins, my aunts, my uncles,” Hinton told CNN on Wednesday. He was visiting Dench’s house this year to prepare a surprise for their families – although they did not want to give it away in advance.
This year their celebration is sponsored by Green Giant, a canned and frozen vegetables brand that will be catering their dinner. Hinton once again dropped out of cooking, Dench said.
Hinton joked, “I guess somehow not having to cook every year is a challenge for me now.”
Dench says she could never have imagined that a text sent to the wrong number would end up with major media interviews and brand sponsorships. A Netflix film is also going on based on their friendship.
Dench and Hinton said they were not sure why people connected so much to their story.
Dench said, “The only thing I can imagine is that our friendship is real. It’s not fake.” “If all the media goes away, and all the commotion goes away, we’ll still get together every year for Thanksgiving.”
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