How a Wrong Number Text Turned Into a 10-Year Thanksgiving Tradition

Most people delete texts sent to the wrong numbers. Wanda Dench decided to set an extra plate instead.

A decade ago, a grandmother in Mesa, Arizona, made a simple mistake. She sent a Thanksgiving invitation to what she thought was her grandson’s number. On the receiving end sat a teenage stranger who could have ignored the message and moved on with his day. Instead, he decided to respond. What happened next would capture hearts across the internet and spark a tradition that continues to inspire thousands of people today.

Now, ten years later, Dench and that teenage stranger are still sharing turkey. Their story proves that sometimes the best relationships start with an accident.

When a text mistake became internet gold

November 2016 brought an ordinary afternoon for high school senior Jamal Hinton. He had recently gotten a new phone number when a group text arrived on his device. Someone claiming to be his grandma was inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner.

Hinton felt suspicious right away. He knew his actual grandmother didn’t text. About 90 percent of him already suspected something was off. Rather than dismiss the message, he asked the sender for proof. Could they send a selfie?

Back came a photo of Wanda Dench, a woman who looked nothing like any grandmother Hinton knew. At 17 years old, Hinton had a fun-loving personality and an extroverted sense of humor. He sent his own selfie back, making it clear Dench had the wrong person.

His response changed everything. “You not my grandma. Can I still get a plate though?”

Dench hesitated. She felt embarrassed when she realized her mistake. Her grandson had given up his old number, which now belonged to Hinton. She was seconds away from hitting delete and pretending the whole thing never happened. Then something stopped her.

She typed back her honest feelings. “Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do … feed everyone.”

Hinton shared the exchange on social media. Within hours, the wholesome conversation spread across the internet. People loved the warmth between two strangers who had never met. Media outlets started calling. Dench’s grandsons helped her screen the sudden flood of interest and arranged for Hinton to visit the day after their texts went viral.

A 45-minute drive to meet a stranger

Hinton lived 45 minutes from Dench’s house. Driving that far to meet someone he found through an accidental text felt daunting for a teenager. He didn’t know Dench or any members of her family. Questions raced through his mind about whether this was safe.

What made him feel comfortable enough to accept was knowing the media would document their meeting. Cameras and reporters would be there. He wouldn’t be walking into a stranger’s home alone.

When he arrived and saw Dench’s face in person, every worry vanished. “All doubts of her maybe being a serial killer just went away the second I saw her face,” he later joked.

From viral sensation to genuine connection

That first Thanksgiving drew more journalists than relatives to Dench’s home. She found herself hosting an unusual gathering where reporters outnumbered family members. Between interviews and cameras, she barely got a chance to talk with Hinton. They were creating a moment for the world, but not really getting to know each other.

Dench and her late husband, Lonnie, wanted to change that. They invited Hinton and his girlfriend at the time to a restaurant dinner as the new year approached. Away from the spotlight, something special happened.

Conversation flowed for hours. No awkward silences emerged. No forced small talk. They sat at that restaurant table chatting until the staff needed to close for the night. Age didn’t matter. Background didn’t matter. A real friendship was forming.

Dench felt surprised by how natural everything seemed. “There was no generation gap at all… like we were just like pals for forever,” she recalled. “That grew into family and love, and I feel so blessed.”

Nine more years of turkey and togetherness

After that first Thanksgiving, Hinton and Dench kept meeting. Not just once a year, but throughout the months in between. Their bond deepened as Hinton grew from a teenager into a man in his twenties.

Life brought challenges. In 2020, COVID-19 took Lonnie from complications related to the virus. Dench faced the holiday season without her husband for the first time. Hinton was there. Later, when Dench received a breast cancer diagnosis and went through treatment, Hinton remained part of her support system. They walked through grief and illness together.

Every year, Hinton wonders if he should keep posting updates about their Thanksgiving tradition. Does anyone still care about a story from 2016? Would people rather move on to newer viral moments? Yet each November, the answer arrives loud and clear. Yes, people still care. Comments flood in. Messages of support appear. Strangers share how the story inspired them to reach out to someone they might have otherwise ignored.

Dench and Hinton take turns deciding who hosts each year. Last year found them gathering at Hinton’s aunt’s house in Phoenix. They’ve learned that Thanksgiving is actually the hardest time for them to have deep conversations because interviews and media requests fill the day. “Thanksgiving is the only time we don’t get to have really great conversations with each other because we’re always interviewing!” Dench laughed.

Green Giant joins the table for year 10

For their tenth anniversary Thanksgiving, someone else is handling the cooking. Green Giant, celebrating its own centennial this year, is providing the complete meal. Turkey, mashed potatoes, and, naturally, green bean casserole will fill their table.

Over the years, various brands have reached out with promotional opportunities. Dench and Hinton always discuss these offers together before deciding. Some they accept, others they pass on. They want partnerships to feel authentic rather than commercial.

Green Giant felt right to both of them. “It was an easy decision to partner with Green Giant because I grew up with them, and Jamal did, too,” Dench explained. “Who doesn’t have green bean casserole for Thanksgiving every year? It just felt good.”

Cancer free and grateful

Dench has good news to share this Thanksgiving season. Her most recent medical checkup showed she’s cancer-free. She wants people to hear this not just as her personal victory but as a reminder. Schedule your own cancer screenings. Don’t put off those appointments. Early detection matters.

At 68 years old, Dench looks forward to many more Thanksgivings with the young man she now considers family. What started as an embarrassing mix-up became one of the greatest gifts of her life.

One text, thousands inspired

Hinton, now 26, has heard from countless people over the years. They tell him about sharing meals with neighbors they barely knew. About inviting coworkers who had nowhere to go for the holidays. About reaching across differences to connect with someone unexpected.

Their story resonates because it’s simple. No grand gestures were required. No life-changing sacrifice. Just two people choosing kindness when they could have chosen convenience. Dench could have deleted that text and pretended her mistake never happened. Hinton could have ignored a random invitation from a stranger.

Instead, they both said yes to something uncertain. They stepped outside their comfort zones. A grandmother opened her home and her heart. A teenager took a chance on someone he had no reason to trust.

Ten Thanksgivings later, their table proves that family isn’t always about blood relations. Sometimes it starts with a wrong number and a willingness to answer anyway. Sometimes the best traditions begin with happy accidents. And sometimes a single text message can create a bond that lasts a lifetime.

Dench hopes their enduring friendship reminds people what Thanksgiving truly celebrates. Good food matters, certainly. But gathering with loved ones and sharing real conversation matters more. Whether those loved ones came from birth or from a mistaken text makes no difference at all.

As they prepare for their tenth meal together this week, one thing seems certain. Years from now, when people talk about viral moments that actually meant something, they’ll remember the grandmother who fed a stranger and the teenager who showed up. They’ll remember that kindness doesn’t require permission and that sometimes the wrong number turns out to be exactly right.