A single text message to a wrong number in 2016 has become one of the Internet’s favorite Thanksgiving stories. Arizona grandmother Wanda Dench accidentally invited high school senior Jamal Hinton to dinner, thinking she was texting her grandson. When he asked if he could still get a plate, she replied that grandmas feed everyone, and he showed up.
What started as a funny mix-up became a lasting friendship. Every year since, Hinton and Dench have shared Thanksgiving together, even through the loss of her husband Lonnie and her battle and recovery from breast cancer. The two say their bond feels like family.
This year marks their 10th Thanksgiving celebration, with Green Giant sponsoring the meal to honor its 100th anniversary and their decade-long tradition. Dench says she feels blessed and Hinton finds it “amazing” that a mistaken text has led to so much “happiness and joy.”