PHOENIX — An annual Thanksgiving tradition that started back in 2016 is still going strong.

What’s even stronger is the friendship between the Arizona woman known as the “Thanksgiving Grandma” and the young man she invited over for a holiday dinner seven years ago.

What You Need To Know

  • A heartwarming Thanksgiving tradition that began seven years ago in Arizona is still going strong

  • In 2016, Wanda Dench, now known online as the "Thanksgiving Grandma," accidentally texted a teenage Jamal Hinton an invite to Thanksgiving dinner. He came over for dinner anyway

  • The unlikely pair has reunited every Thanksgiving since then 

  • This year, Dench and Hinton sat down with new strangers as part of a promotional campaign with Airbnb

Back in 2016, Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton were strangers. However, a serendipitous, though accidental, text message has made them much closer to family.

“I don’t think there’s anything in the world that can separate me and Wanda from being family or spending time together,” Hinton said.

“Family isn’t just blood related; it’s the people who want to be in your life, and that you want to be in their life,” Dench added.

It all started in 2016 when Dench mistakenly texted a Thanksgiving invite to Hinton, thinking she was texting her grandson. Hinton was a teenager at the time. He jokingly replied that he’d like to come over for dinner. Dench said he was welcome at her home for dinner.

Their unlikely friendship went viral on social media.

“I still can’t believe it. I pinch myself. I’ve seen him get older, but his heart is still the same as it was when (he) was 17,” Dench said.

This year, Dench and Hinton sat down with new strangers as part of a promotional campaign with Airbnb.

“If you feel like someone has a good heart, or you feel like someone is a good person, you should just – I don’t know – stick your neck out and try,” Hinton said.

It’s an important message during the holiday season: Embrace new experiences. You may make a connection that lasts a lifetime.

“He’s been such a blessing to me and changed my life and my viewpoint. So, I will always thank him for the rest of my life,” Dench said.