TikToker who called churches posing as new mother in need of baby formula is shocked at her results
SOMERSET, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) – A woman who went viral on TikTok for pretending to be a mother of a newborn in need of baby formula said the results of her “social experiment” have been amazing.
Nikalie Monroe started the TikTok challenge to see which churches would give her help by providing baby formula.
Monroe said many of the churches she contacted refused her request.
“A lot of them still said no,” Monroe said. “But the mega ones? I got hung up on twice.”
Church after church failed to meet her request for the formula. However, Monroe said Johnny Dunbar at Heritage Hope Church of God in Somerset was different.
“You could tell he cared,” Monroe said. “It wasn’t one where he said, ‘Well, we will see what we can do or call someone. Oh, your baby is starving, we need to feed that baby.’”
Monroe said her experiment took her from 30 followers to millions. Many who saw her videos shared her story, resulting in people from all over the world flooding the Somerset church with donations.
“People wanted to donate to the people who said yes,” Monroe said. “They knew those churches would help.”
The church’s pastor said donations continue to come in. He said he didn’t want to share how much money in donations he has received, but said it was substantial.
He said all the money will go to help the church’s food bank, Operation Christmas Child and many other ministries.
Dunbar said the donations have been helpful, but people coming back to the church have been just as important.
“I was one of those,” Monroe said. “I had not been to church in years. And I went to his church. And one in Jamestown. And I’m going to a mosque in North Carolina.”
Monroe said she believes the story shows how even organizations that help people sometimes need support as well.
“I’m so happy how people have been blessed by this,” Monroe said. “And the lives that have been changed.”
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