How Houston Grand Opera is stepping up to help health care workers

HOUSTON, TX (KTRK) -- Downtown Houston's Wortham Center is closed, but its impact is perhaps more far reaching than ever before.

Houston Grand Opera workers are making and donating fabric face masks to healthcare workers at St. Joseph's Medical Center.

Elastic that would usually go toward elaborate opera costuming is suddenly valuable now that it's in short supply.

"It's a fantastic group effort of people who have skills who just want to help," explained Houston Grand Opera Managing Director Perryn Leech. "I'm so honored and proud of our costume shop."

They've made 1600 masks in just two weeks.

"The arts is a huge business for Houston. You know, 17,000 employees," Leech said. "If you don't think the arts are important, then you shouldn't be watching Netflix, you shouldn't be watching HBO."

Since opera workers started sewing, workers with other companies, like Theatre Under the Stars and the Alley Theatre, have started doing the same.

"Houstonians proved it after Harvey and they're proving it again and again," Leech explained. "We look out for each other. If it's mine, it's yours. We're going to help you, we're going to help bring each other back up."

If you'd like to help out, go here: https://www.houstongrandopera.org/