Jamal Hinton will be opening his kitchen for 'grandma' Wanda Dench ten years after they began their Thanksgiving tradition.
A decade after Dench accidentally texted Hinton, mistaking the Arizona native for her grandson, the two shared their first Thanksgiving meal together, which they've continued almost every November. To prepare for their next holiday feast, Hinton and Dench, who now have a partnership with vegetable brand Green Giant, appeared on TODAY to discuss their longtime friendship.
"It's like having a mentor, in a way," Hinton said about Dench. "A mentor, a best friend, a grandma, all in one bucket."
Dench also shared what her friendship with Hinton has taught her following the COVID-related death of her husband, Lonnie, in 2020, along with her past breast cancer battle. Dench received her diagnosis in 2024 but has been cancer-free since her last medical exam.
"We still have a life to live. We still have hopes and dreams for our future no matter how long it's gonna be," Dench said. "My husband, he was very spiritual and he would tell me that God had a plan for us. It was about healing the country, is what he said. And He's just using Jamal and me as tools."
Dench also advised people to "follow your heart" and "don't be afraid to make connections."
"I call, Wanda picks up," Hinton added. "So I just hope that we are there as long as we can be for each other, having each other's backs through the path of life."
The friends still have a Netflix project about their lives in the works, currently titled The Thanksgiving Text.