Students at Butler Middle School are hopeful that these personalized coffee sleeves bring a smile to someone's face as they get their daily pick-me-up coffee.

To boost the morale of health care workers, Butler Middle School students decorated more than 750 “java jackets” for the Cummings Coffee and Candy shop in Butler Memorial Hospital.

The jackets, which cover disposable coffee cups to protect hands from heat, depict positive messages and thank-yous for the hospital workers.

Barry Cummings, owner of Cummings, said fifth- and sixth-grade students made enough jackets to last the hospital cafe through the year. He said the middle school's students created java jackets for his various locations on two other occasions.

Holly Wilson, art teacher at the school, said each homeroom class participated in the project as part of the “Be Tuff and Stand Up” program for Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports.

She said they have been making java jackets since February 2019, but the idea to gear the messages toward health care workers dawned on her recently.

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