God bless Wanda and Jamal.
It’s a Thanksgiving tradition and viral story that’s now 10 years in the making, and believe it or not, one we blogged about the first year it happened.
An Arizona man by the name of Jamal Hinton and a Grandma by the name of Wanda Dench accidentally crossed paths during a Thanksgiving mixup a decade ago. Dench sent a text to her grandkids inviting them to Thanksgiving dinner, but one of her grandsons had recently changed his number, so her invitation went to a then-17-year old named Jamal Hinton instead.
After they sorted out the mixup, Hinton had a question for Wanda:
“Can I still get a plate tho?”
Dench stood by her invitation, telling Hinton:
“That’s what grandma’s do… feed everyone.”
Now you remember, right?
Well every year, when Thanksgiving rolls around, fans of their story anxiously await an update to see if Hinton and Dench come together for a holiday meal. They’ve continued to get together every Thanksgiving, and only missed out on their tradition in 2024, when Dench was battling cancer.
It was early last year when Dench revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and would be undergoing chemotherapy. So when Thanksgiving came up on the calendar, she decided to stay home and rest up, and it was the first time her and Hinton hadn’t shared a meal on Turkey Day since the accidental (and viral) text was sent to Hinton:
The good news? Wanda Dench has been feeling better in 2025, and Thanksgiving was BACK ON for this year.
Even better news? It appears that canned vegetable company Green Giant has stepped in to make this Thanksgiving that much more special for Dench and Hinton. The Arizona man took to his social media account earlier in November to share that he and Wanda were thankful for the food brand joining in on the fun, and ask that fans of their comical tradition follow along for more:
“Wanda and I are excited to partner with Green Giant for our 10th Thanksgiving. Make sure to follow along!”
Good for them for getting the bag they so very much deserve.
And I made sure to oblige to their request and followed along with their Thanksgiving updates. Sure enough, when Turkey Day rolled around, two of the internet’s favorite people got together and celebrated their 10-year anniversary… I think. Jamal Hinton said 2016 to 2026 in his post, and we’re currently living in 2025 (in case you didn’t know). But regardless of how many years it’s actually been, Thanksgiving was properly celebrated:
“Happy Thanksgiving! 2016 to 2026. 10 years later!”
You absolutely love to see it (even if the year count might be a little off).
As you might imagine, social media applauded Jamal and Wanda for carrying on their Turkey Day tradition. And to think that an accidental text led to an annual get-together that brings joy to the masses:
The greatest “accidental text” that was ever sent . God bless you guys
— Toby 🇺🇸 (@TobiasMind) November 28, 2025
He’s definitely part of the family now. I love this story, it always brings me joy.
— Xtra (@toptier1140) November 28, 2025
Happy Thanksgiving! The world needs more of this. Thanks for keeping the holiday spirit alive.
— Michael London (@Mlondon83) November 28, 2025
one of the most wholesome photos and lore i look forward to every year
— Dynast King Raithwal (Salaryman Arc) (@The_Raithwal) November 28, 2025
This will always be the best tradition! 🥹😍
— Betsey Hall Gresh (@BetseyHallGresh) November 28, 2025
