Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench.Photo:Jamal Hinton/ Instagram
Jamal Hinton/ Instagram
In 2016, Phoenix teenager Jamal Hinton received a text from an unknown number thatresulted in one of the most wholesome Thanksgiving traditions.Hinton (then 17 years old) told PEOPLE at the time, “The text said, ‘Thanksgiving at my house’ and it was from a grandma, but I was like, ‘When did my grandma learn to text!?’ So I asked her for a picture and it definitely was not my grandma.“Hinton jokingly texted the grandma, a.k.a. Wanda Dench, “Can I still get a plate tho?” to which she replied, “Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do … feed everyone.“Hinton told PEOPLE, “It was so unexpected, but she was just so sweet about it. It was a reminder that there are still some good people left in this world.“And so Thanksgiving Grandma was born. Ever since that fateful year, Hinton and Dench have gathered to share a holiday meal with various friends and family members. See photos from each year of their meaningful get-togethers.
In 2016, Phoenix teenager Jamal Hinton received a text from an unknown number thatresulted in one of the most wholesome Thanksgiving traditions.
Hinton (then 17 years old) told PEOPLE at the time, “The text said, ‘Thanksgiving at my house’ and it was from a grandma, but I was like, ‘When did my grandma learn to text!?’ So I asked her for a picture and it definitely was not my grandma.”
Hinton jokingly texted the grandma, a.k.a. Wanda Dench, “Can I still get a plate tho?” to which she replied, “Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do … feed everyone.”
Hinton told PEOPLE, “It was so unexpected, but she was just so sweet about it. It was a reminder that there are still some good people left in this world.”
And so Thanksgiving Grandma was born. Ever since that fateful year, Hinton and Dench have gathered to share a holiday meal with various friends and family members. See photos from each year of their meaningful get-togethers.
01of 08Thanksgiving 2016Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton in 2016.Tom Tingle/The Arizona Republic via APHinton spent the holiday with Dench’s family and friends in 2016. “She is a very sweet lady,” Hinton said of Dench. “She told me her husband was a veteran and she always invited his friends over for dinner, so she’s used to having a lot of people over. I just got a vibe from her that made me feel at home.”
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Thanksgiving 2016
Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton in 2016.Tom Tingle/The Arizona Republic via AP
Hinton spent the holiday with Dench’s family and friends in 2016. “She is a very sweet lady,” Hinton said of Dench. “She told me her husband was a veteran and she always invited his friends over for dinner, so she’s used to having a lot of people over. I just got a vibe from her that made me feel at home.”
02of 08Thanksgiving 2017Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton in 2017.Jamal HintonDench told ABC News of inviting Hinton over after the texting mix-up, “We moved around a lot so I was always going to new places. And so strangers were not strangers to me.““Family is more than blood,” she added. “It’s the people you want to be with.“The pair kept the tradition going in 2017, when they met again for Thanksgiving — this time with Hinton’s girlfriend, Mikaela, at the table!Hinton shared a photo of their second annual Thanksgiving, captioning it, “I guess you can say thanksgiving was one for the books 😌🦃.”
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Thanksgiving 2017
Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton in 2017.Jamal Hinton
Dench told ABC News of inviting Hinton over after the texting mix-up, “We moved around a lot so I was always going to new places. And so strangers were not strangers to me.”
“Family is more than blood,” she added. “It’s the people you want to be with.”
The pair kept the tradition going in 2017, when they met again for Thanksgiving — this time with Hinton’s girlfriend, Mikaela, at the table!
Hinton shared a photo of their second annual Thanksgiving, captioning it, “I guess you can say thanksgiving was one for the books 😌🦃.”
03of 08Thanksgiving 2018Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton in 2018.Jamal Hinton/TwitterIn 2018, Hinton declared, “It’s a tradition now,” alongside a photo with Dench.
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Thanksgiving 2018
Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton in 2018.Jamal Hinton/Twitter
In 2018, Hinton declared, “It’s a tradition now,” alongside a photo with Dench.
04of 08Thanksgiving 2019Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton in 2019.Courtesy Jamal Hinton"As promised! Here’s our 2019 update 🦃,” Hinton shared on Thanksgiving that year alongside photos of the celebration and throwback images from past Thanksgivings.Hinton and his girlfriend have also gotten together with the Denches outside of Thanksgiving. “Blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives,” Hintonwrote of another 2019 selfiewith Dench and her husband.
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Thanksgiving 2019
Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton in 2019.Courtesy Jamal Hinton
“As promised! Here’s our 2019 update 🦃,” Hinton shared on Thanksgiving that year alongside photos of the celebration and throwback images from past Thanksgivings.
Hinton and his girlfriend have also gotten together with the Denches outside of Thanksgiving. “Blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives,” Hintonwrote of another 2019 selfiewith Dench and her husband.
05of 08Thanksgiving 2020In 2020, they met again for the holiday, though they were missing Dench’s husband, Lonnie, whodied in April 2020after a battle withCOVID-19.“This Thanksgiving, along with all the holidays coming up, aren’t going to be the same as past ones but we will make the best of it,” Hinton wrote inan Instagram post. “Rest In Peace to Lonnie and everyone else we lost this year we will miss you greatly. Thank you for being in our lives.”
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Thanksgiving 2020
In 2020, they met again for the holiday, though they were missing Dench’s husband, Lonnie, whodied in April 2020after a battle withCOVID-19.
“This Thanksgiving, along with all the holidays coming up, aren’t going to be the same as past ones but we will make the best of it,” Hinton wrote inan Instagram post. “Rest In Peace to Lonnie and everyone else we lost this year we will miss you greatly. Thank you for being in our lives.”
06of 08Thanksgiving 2021Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench with his girlfriend Mikaela in 2021.Jamal Hinton/Instagram"6 years strong💛🦃,” Hintoncaptioned his smiling Thanksgiving day photowith Mikaela and Dench. He also includeda slideshow of years past.Hintontweeted days prior,“We are all set for year 6,” sharing a photo from Thanksgiving 2019 and the text message from “Grandma Wanda” inviting him over for “good food and great conversation.”
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Thanksgiving 2021
Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench with his girlfriend Mikaela in 2021.Jamal Hinton/Instagram
“6 years strong💛🦃,” Hintoncaptioned his smiling Thanksgiving day photowith Mikaela and Dench. He also includeda slideshow of years past.
Hintontweeted days prior,“We are all set for year 6,” sharing a photo from Thanksgiving 2019 and the text message from “Grandma Wanda” inviting him over for “good food and great conversation.”
07of 08Thanksgiving 2022Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton in 2022.Jamal Hinton InstagramDays before the holiday, Hinton assured followers the tradition would live on in 2022.“To answer all your questions, yes Thanksgiving year 7 is planned out! See you guys Thursday! 🦃🖤"The pair appeared onTodayon Nov. 23, with Dench saying that Hinton “literally changed my life and my point of view on young generations about being open to friendships when you think you have nothing in common with somebody. But when you just sit and talk to them? Oh my gosh … He’s in my heart for life.”
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Thanksgiving 2022
Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton in 2022.Jamal Hinton Instagram
Days before the holiday, Hinton assured followers the tradition would live on in 2022.
“To answer all your questions, yes Thanksgiving year 7 is planned out! See you guys Thursday! 🦃🖤"The pair appeared onTodayon Nov. 23, with Dench saying that Hinton “literally changed my life and my point of view on young generations about being open to friendships when you think you have nothing in common with somebody. But when you just sit and talk to them? Oh my gosh … He’s in my heart for life.”
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Thanksgiving 2023
Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton in 2023.Jamal Hinton/X
Jamal Hinton/X
“That’s a wrap on Thanksgiving year 8! Thankful for the connections we made hosting our first @airbnb guest 🧡,” Hintonwrote in a Nov. 22, 2023, post on X.
“Our year 8 selfie 🧡 Thanks for staying with us, Arseni, and for being part of the good in the world this holiday season #airbnbpartner,” she added in her post.
The one-night stay for two guests was priced at $16— a nod to 2016, the year Wanda and Jamal spent their first Thanksgiving together.
source: people.com
