From Mistaken Identity To Family: A Thanksgiving Tradition Continues For 10th Year

Published Nov 25, 2025 By Grant Bromley
10 Thanksgivings ago, a mistaken text invitation to Thanksgiving dinner in 2016 led to an unlikely friendship and the start of a tradition for Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton.

10 Thanksgivings ago, a mistaken text invitation to Thanksgiving dinner in 2016 led to an unlikely friendship and the start of a tradition for Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton. (Photo credit: Green Giant, and Jamal Hinton / X)

10 Years Later, Grandma And Stranger Continue Tradition Of Sharing Thanksgiving Meal

It’s hard to believe it’s already been 10 years, but one of the internet’s most heartwarming stories is celebrating another anniversary…

10 Thanksgivings ago, in 2016, a high school senior named Jamal Hinton was accidentally included in a text message chain inviting him to another family’s Thanksgiving dinner.

This message was sent by a woman named Wanda Dench, who is a grandmother to six children, and the initial case of mistaken identity went both ways.

Asking who had texted him the invitation, Wanda simply replied, “Your grandma.”

Looking back on this, he has told the Today Show he was 90% sure it wasn’t his grandma, but he still went ahead and asked if she could send him a picture of herself.

She complied, and Jamal then sent a picture of himself.

Now, both of them knew they weren’t related, but Jamal replied, “Can I still get a plate tho?”

Wanda replied, “Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do. They feed everyone.”

See the original text exchange, as shared on Jamal’s Twitter, now X, here:

Their 10th Thanksgiving

Each year since that fateful Thanksgiving in 2016, Jamal and Wanda have taken turns hosting their Thanksgiving dinner. Their friendship has grown over the years, and they’ve seen a lot of life.

“I felt like there was no generation gap at all,” Dench told the Today Show of their first Thanksgiving together. “Like we were just like pals for forever … and that grew into family and love, and I feel so blessed.”

Jamal, who was 17 in 2016 when this all started, has become an adult and started his own business, Wrap-A-Lot.

For Wanda, there’s been great struggle to overcome, as her husband, Lonnie, died in 2020, and she is now a cancer survivor.

According to a press release, as Wanda and Jamal celebrate their 10th Thanksgiving together, the canned vegetable provider Green Giant is also celebrating its 100th anniversary. Green Giant is hosting Wanda and Jamal’s 10th Thanksgiving together to mark the occasion.

“Wanda and I are thrilled to celebrate our 10th Thanksgiving together, and partnering with Green Giant makes it even more special,” said Jamal. “Green Giant has been part of so many holiday traditions, and we’re excited to make new memories with their vegetables at our table.”

Wanda stated:

“For us, the holidays are all about connections and making memories. Sharing our 10th year – alongside Green Giant’s 100th anniversary – makes this year feel especially meaningful.”

She added, “I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since that mistaken text.”

Thanksgiving Through The Years

Take a look back at some of their Thanksgiving memories, below…

Here they are in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

In 2020, things looked a little different, as Wanda’s husband, Lonnie, died during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For his 2021 Thanksgiving update, Jamal posted a photo from their 2021 gathering as well as a favorite picture of him with the late Lonnie:

By 2022, Wanda and Jamal were business partners:

In 2023, they hosted an AirBnB guest:

As Wanda battled cancer in 2024, they still made time for one another:

Looking ahead to their 10th Thanksgiving together, here’s the announcement of Green Giant hosting them for dinner in 2025:

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