The heart of human kindness

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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7490286.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+houstonchronicle%2Fmetro+%28chron.com+-+Houston+%26+Texas%29

Raising cups of cheer
HISD 2nd-graders hope their artwork lifts wounded congresswoman's spirits
By SAFIYA RAVAT and JESSICA FAZ
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
March 24, 2011, 7:39PM

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The cups, designed by Sue Chatelain's second-grade class at J.P. Henderson Elementary School in HISD, was inspired by Starbucks store manager Jim Bradley, who began putting messages and amateurish pictures on Giffords' cups last month.

Bradley has always been an enthusiastic and observant manager.

Besides knowing his regular customers' names, Bradley has even memorized many of their usual orders.

"Gabby gets a grande, non-fat, two-raw-sugar latte, with cinnamon powder on top," he said proudly, not skipping a beat.

Every morning, before heading off to work, Giffords' husband, Kelly, stops by the Starbucks in the Highland Village shopping center to pick up a latte for his wife, who continues to receive therapy at TIRR Memorial Hermann after being wounded in the head by a gunman at an Arizona political meeting in January.
Caught her attention

After recognizing Kelly, Bradley and his crew began writing messages on Giffords' cups like "Have a great day" or "Good morning Gabby" with yellow sunshine and other fun pictures drawn on.

"One day, somebody came in and asked, 'Hey, can you put something on the cup? Gabby is starting to expect it now, she wants to see what's there every day,' " Bradley said. "That's when we realized she was really paying attention."

After that, without fail, a message was sent on Giffords' Starbuck's cup every morning. Seeking a more imaginative mind, Bradley asked Chatelain, a loyal customer of seven years, if she could get her second-graders to come up with some designs.

On Monday, the students designed for almost an hour, drawing what 8-year-olds draw best — flowers, rainbows, houses. Many drew stars and space shuttles and stick figures of Giffords and Kelly. Again on Thursday, the class picked up their best crayons and brightest markers to make a second batch of cups.

Brows furrowed in concentration and tongues poking out of pursed lips, the youngsters artfully transferred the sketches - made in art class earlier in the week - to the cups.

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