Operation Cobra: Help People Love on People

Helping people love on people.

DULUTH, Minn.- A movement started helping loved ones who are apart feel like they never had to leave each other’s side is taking over the Twin Ports all thanks to the work of one couple.

“It’s awesome to help people love on people,” Erica Bartels said.

Help people love on people– that’s the motto Bartels carries with her everywhere she goes.

In March 2018, Stephen and Lauren Diggs were separated because of military deployment. Being close friends of theirs, Erica and her husband Dillon wanted to help Stephen feel connected to his wife even while he was away.

“We reached out to him and asked if there was anything we could do– if we could drop off things or make meals or if there was anything we could do to make her feel like maybe he was here,” Bartels said. “We made it a code name so we could text a little bit so we called it “Operation Cobra,’ and it was kind of like I was a secret agent.”

And so…Operation Cobra was born. That’s the name Erica and her husband gave their secret acts of kindness, helping deliver anything from gifts for loved ones who are apart-

“Why can’t we do this more for people in the community, or those deployed? Wouldn’t this be amazing to be able to– a lot of people don’t have time or don’t have the energy or creativeness to do these types of acts of love and these acts of kindness, so how can we help people do that,” Bartels said.

To birthday surprises for those who may not have the time, just to do something special.

That’s where Jim King comes into the picture.

“I knew that if I worked with Erica that she would be able to do some things that I wouldn’t think of kind of put that special touch on that gift that maybe i couldn’t express at that time,” Jim said.

Jim knew he wanted to do something special for his wife’s birthday. Operation Cobra could make it happen.

“Jim had told me the day before my birthday… He said, ‘I don’t know what your plans are, but just make sure you’re home right around 2 o’clock and make sure you get the boys off the bus,'” Jim’s wife Allie King said.

“I knew that she had four boys, and ” knew that she is a stay at home mom, and i know that her youngest boy is actually going to school now,” Bartels said.

Each boy would get off the bus and hand Allie a bouquet of flowers with a note. But first… She’d find a basket at her door. In it…

“Had two big yellow sunflowers wrapped. Had an umbrella with a tag on it that said ‘Even in the rain you shine,'” Allie said. “All four of my boys came out of the bus and they all had beautiful yellow daisies wrapped in burlap and they all had their own little card pinned to each bouquet saying the things they love about mom.”

The Bartels stuck around to see Allie’s response to the surprise.

“I am hardly ever left speechless, but I was speechless,” Allie said.

“It’s fun for us to be able to be a part of the planning process but also a part of the execution of dropping things off,” Erica Bartels’ husband Dillon Bartels said.

Another O.C. was delivered… Jim surprises Allie thanks to Erica and her husband.

“The minute I saw the basket on my deck, i knew it was O.C…. I had seen her work before and she does beautiful work,” Allie said.

The Bartels plan to keep delivering O.C.’s in the Twin Ports and hope to see the secret acts of kindness grow in the future.

“Days are just kind of hard sometimes and life is just kind of dark at times…I feel like we can be a light and we can help people show love,” Bartels said.

The couple who inspired Operation Cobra, Stephen and Lauren Diggs, are reunited and currently live in Maryland where they hope to start the traditions of O.C. for those in that area.

Check out Operation Cobra here.