Viral 'starving baby' TikTok experiment tests how churches respond to people in need

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00:00What happens when a TikToker calls churches claiming a baby is starving?

00:03It's a social experiment gone viral almost immediately, sparking debate,

00:07donations, and a nationwide conversation about how organizations meant to help the public

00:12actually respond. Nicali Monroe, a TikToker from Kentucky, called more than 40 churches

00:18across the country posing as a desperate mother in need of baby formula. Hiya, I was calling to

00:23see if y'all could help with formula at all. I have a two-month-old baby. We ran out last night,

00:27so she's been going all day without anything to eat. Her goal was simple, see how churches would

00:32respond in a real-time crisis. I never see churches come out to help anybody. Would they help or would

00:39they say no? My take on it, my personal beliefs, because I don't go to church, is that they're not

00:46going to want to help anybody that doesn't specifically want to go to their church or

00:50interested in going to their church or doesn't already attend their church. I want to be proven

00:55wrong. Out of 42 calls reported, only nine churches said yes. Monroe even called Dream City

01:01Church, where the late Charlie Kirk attended. That's our only connection to our food bank

01:08ministry. So if they don't have any baby formula, then we don't have any in our office

01:15that we could provide. Nicali's videos have amassed millions of views and ignited heated debate

01:21online. Hannah shared, this is ironic because the pastor preached a sermon that was posted on

01:26November 5th, saying, And by the way, it was never the job of the government to take care of poor

01:31people. It was always the job of the church to do that. While Lisa pointed out logistical realities,

01:36stating, Most churches do not have formula on hand and will route through a ministry they directly

01:41work with and have vetted. The confirmation bias in this series is insane, not to mention zero

01:46understanding of how charity works in the church. That's why we have mom's pantry in the dream

01:51center. All these ministries reaching out to hurting people. To which Jessica replied,

01:55Where in the Bible does Jesus say, Help thy neighbor by telling starving children that church

02:00charity is a bureaucracy, so wait for a food bank. You failed the morality test, just like these

02:06churches. But our theory is that it's bigger than a random morality test. As Katana Pilot put it,

02:11This is the best social experiment ever. It's no surprise Monroe has gone viral as the experiment

02:17resonates with people. It touches on economic anxiety and real gaps in support. According to

02:22the census, millions of Americans live in poverty, and many rely on charities and churches for urgent

02:27needs. At the same time, recent delays in SNAP benefits during the longest government shutdown in

02:33U.S. history left millions scrambling for food. And Monroe's series also highlighted a growing

02:37distrust in institutions. The TikTok comment sections were full of personal stories. And

02:43another reminded viewers, 80-90% of church spending is just internal for their own salaries,

02:48buildings, etc. Churches don't pay taxes, and they are also exempt from non-profit IRS financial

02:55reporting requirements. Adding another layer to this experiment, religious polarization. While most

03:01churches said no, a Buddhist temple and an Islamic center said yes, sparking debate over faith values

03:07and accountability. And for those who said yes, like Heritage Hope Church of God, the generosity

03:12has been returned. Reports say the church received over $75,000 for its food pantry since Monroe's

03:18videos went viral. Meanwhile, some of the churches that said no and received backlash have started to

03:23clarify how they help parents in need. Overall, Monroe's experiment tapped into TikTok's hunger for

03:28content that exposes hypocrisy and accountability, forcing everyone to answer the question,

03:33who really steps up when someone is in need. Share your thoughts and follow us everywhere at What's

03:38Trending.