An influencer is going viral on TikTok for “testing” to see which churches would help a struggling mother.
TikTok creator and Kentucky-native Nikalie Monroe, who began the series on Halloween, started out by calling churches in her community of Somerset, Kentucky (before expanding her experiment to other churches nationwide), pretending to be a mother out of baby formula and without money to buy more.
In the introductory video linked above, Monroe said, "For those of you that actually go to church and donate your hard-earned money, do you actually know what your money goes to when you donate to your church?... I want to be proven wrong, but I am going to test it and I'm going to call them."
Over the course of more than forty videos, Monroe contacted over thirty churches and other religious groups, occasionally playing the sound of a crying baby in the background.
Most of the institutions refused to help, citing reasons such as "You don't attend the church," "We stopped doing that," or simply saying "no."
According to The Tab, at least ten groups, including several mosques and Islamic centers-offered assistance, while thirty-three declined.
Some churches have since responded publicly.
One pastor in Baton Rouge condemned the experiment, likened Monroe to a “witch” and warned that anyone who comes to “disrupt” their church service would be "dealt with very, very swiftly."
Another pastor reportedly delivered a 20-minute sermon denouncing her as "folly, seductive and knowing nothing" and labeling her a "radical, woke, non-believing troll.”
Monroe's series comes amid a prolonged federal government shutdown that began on October 1, and has disrupted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), leaving many families without food aid.
According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to keep SNAP payments frozen during the shutdown while lower courts have ordered full funding to continue. The situation has resulted in uneven outcomes across states. Some states, including Hawaii and New Jersey, have issued full benefits, while others, like Nebraska and West Virginia, have issued none.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that courts should not dictate spending decisions, even as federal judges have ordered full payments to resume. Judge Julie Rikleman wrote that "the government sat on its hands for nearly a month, unprepared to make partial payments, while people who rely on SNAP received no benefits a week into November and counting."
Meanwhile, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said President Trump was fighting "for the right to starve Americans," calling it "the most heinous thing I've ever seen in public life."
According to AP, the Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling on the matter Tuesday, November 11, while millions of Americans remain uncertain whether they will receive their food aid for the month.