Grandma Accidentally Texted Thanksgiving Invite to Stranger, Hosts Him Again

The Arizona grandmother who accidentally texted a teen an invite to Thanksgiving Dinner has turned that mishap into a wonderful tradition by hosting the young man for dinner once again this year.

In 2016, Wanda Dench of Tempe, Arizona, accidentally texted 17-year-old Jamal Hinton an invite to dinner, thinking she was texting her own grandson. Somehow, Dench had put the wrong number into her phone and ended up inviting Hinton, who was a total stranger, completely by accident.

Hinton was so amused by the accidental invite that he pushed it out to his social media, and the whole hilarious situation went viral.

But Dench stuck by her invitation, and the hilarity gave way to a heartwarming Thanksgiving for Hinton.

Dench noted that her family had often invited strangers to Thanksgiving dinner so, why not Hinton! She added, “That’s what grandmas do … feed everyone.”

“If you have an opportunity to do something kind for somebody, please, please do,” Dench said in 2016. “It’s a good feeling to give kindness, and it’s a wonderful feeling to receive it.”

But since that cell phone mishap, Hinton has been invited back to Thanksgiving dinner each year and was again in 2018.

So, a texting goof-up has become a wonderful new tradition for Dench and her family and Mr. Hinton and his.

2016, 2017…… 2018 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/0ZNA54uGAS

— Jamal Hinton (@kingjamal08) November 23, 2018

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.