A Blogger Checked to See if Churches Will Help a Starving Child—Almost All Refused (4 photos)

American TikTok creator Nikayli Monroe decided to conduct an unusual social experiment: she started calling religious institutions and asking for urgent help—formula for a baby who, according to her story, was left without food.





The results were surprising: out of several dozen organizations, only a few were willing to help, and most refused or redirected elsewhere.

How the experiment went



Monroe contacted churches, mosques, temples, and centers of various religions, pretending to be a confused mother who had suddenly run out of formula for her baby.

She said she had no money and needed help right away.

Sometimes, the blogger would play the background sound of a crying baby to emphasize the urgency of the situation and see if it would change the person's reaction.

In total, she called more than forty organizations and posted recordings of all the conversations on TikTok.

What Religious Institutions Responsed





According to Monroe, most congregations declined to provide assistance, and the reasons varied each time. Typical responses included:

"We don't provide financial support."

"We only help members of our congregation."

"We have programs, but only for the elderly."

"Contact social services."

"You can just buy formula at the store."

Some large parishes didn't refuse outright, but merely provided the phone numbers of third-party foundations—effectively shifting the burden.

Who did help?

Of more than forty locations, about ten responded immediately.

Among those who didn't refuse were representatives of the Catholic Church, a Buddhist temple, and several Islamic centers.

In one case, a minister clarified the brand and type of formula and said he was willing to buy it with his own money.

Later, when the video of this call went viral, his congregation received over $75,000 in donations, which were used to purchase groceries for low-income families.

Strong reactions from some churches

After Nikayli's videos circulated on social media, the experiment sparked heated discussion. Several pastors harshly criticized the blogger.

One of them called Monroe an "evil witch" in his sermon and said that "she'll quickly be told what's what" if she shows up at his church. Another priest devoted an entire speech to listing his congregation's charitable projects, but accused the blogger of holding liberal views and ignorance of the church's work.

Why did the experiment spark such controversy?



The story touched on a sensitive issue: are religious organizations truly ready to help immediately, or does their help exist only in reports and fine words?

Those who supported Monroe were shocked that in an emergency, almost mundane situation, many institutions were unable to provide even minimal support. Critics, however, believe the blogger used an unethical method, intentionally misleading people.

Despite the controversy, interest in the experiment continues to grow, and Monroe is releasing new videos, testing more and more communities.