Editor’s note: We gratefully acknowledge all of our SWC churches who are helping the best they can to feed our hungry neighbors and we also acknowledge that every church cannot address every person’s every need, and that is why we have referrals and resources.
From Katie Allred in the Church Communications Facebook Group:
Hey friends, quick warning for your teams.
A church I’m connected with was targeted this week by a TikTok creator. They called the church office pretending to be a mom with a hungry baby who needed formula right now.
The receptionist responded the way a lot of our teams would:
She explained they didn’t have formula on site
She immediately pointed the caller to several local food pantries the church partners with that DO stock formula and help families every day
The caller was secretly recording.
They then posted the audio with a headline like:
“Church turns away starving baby”
The video blew up.
Now the church is getting:
Thousands of angry comments
A wave of 1-star Google reviews from people who’ve never been there
Trolls piling on across platforms
All of this is happening during a federal government shutdown, when:
SNAP benefits are being delayed, cut, or thrown into chaos for millions of people
Families who depend on those benefits are legitimately terrified about how they’ll feed their kids this month
So we’re in this strange moment where:
Real need is rising, and
Outrage content is farming that pain for views.
And your front desk team is standing right in the middle of it.
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What this means for your church
This could happen to any of us—especially now, when more people are calling churches because other systems are failing them.
Most receptionists aren’t thinking, “Someone might be recording this to edit for TikTok.” They’re just trying to help with the info and resources they have.
Now is a good time to:
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1. Brief your front desk / phone / care team
Let them know:
Some callers may be truly in crisis because SNAP or other aid is delayed.
Others may be looking for a “gotcha” moment for social content.
Their words might end up online without context.
Give them a simple, compassionate script, for example:
“I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Right now, because of the shutdown and issues with SNAP, a lot of families are scared about food. We don’t keep formula/food on site, but we partner with several local organizations that do and are set up to help quickly. Can I give you their info and help you connect with them?”
If your church does have benevolence funds or food help:
“We’d love to see how we can help. Let me get your name and number so our care team can follow up with you today.”
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2. Centralize a “food + crisis help” cheat sheet
Make sure your team has one place (printed + digital) with:
Local food pantries & feeding programs
Crisis pregnancy / family support centers
Community assistance offices (county / city)
Your church’s own food pantry / benevolence process and hours
This helps them respond calmly, even when the caller is emotional or pushy.
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3. Set expectations for online blowback
If something like this goes viral:
Staff should know who to tell first (comms / exec pastor / lead pastor).
Only one or two people should respond publicly on behalf of the church.
Don’t argue in comments or DMs. Use short, empathetic, factual responses or a link to your official statement.
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4. Care for your receptionist(s) and phone volunteers:
If your church gets targeted:
Remember your receptionist is a human being, often doing a hard job on the front lines of people’s pain.
Coach and support them; don’t scapegoat them.
Use it as training, not punishment.
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Final thought
With the government and SNAP mess, a lot of families are legitimately closer to the edge and churches are becoming the default “last stop” for help.
We can prepare our teams to:
Respond with compassion
Connect people to real resources
Protect the church from being misrepresented online
Katie Allred also provided a script that might be helpful and can be adapted to your church. Take a look at it here.