Bella Baskin: Bless It Bag CEO Talks About Her Addiction and RecoveryBella Baskin: Bless It Bag CEO Talks About Her Addiction and Recovery
The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast
#14: Bella Baskin is the 29-year-old founder & CEO of Bless it Bag. While working at WBTV as a photo consultant, she would drive by the same homeless people every day, and although she desperately wanted to help them, she feared if she gave them cash it would just be used for drugs or alcohol. As someone with a history of addiction (who is now 10 years sober) Bella did not want to contribute to the vicious cycle she personally knew could be so toxic. After going to Los Angeles’ Skid Row, talking to people who were experiencing homelessness, and asking them what would be useful alternatives to cash, she decided to create bags for men, women, and dogs, filled with essential items (including snacks, water, personal hygiene products and more) that could easily be kept in her car to pass out to those in need. She decided to call her charity Bless It Bag®, and created a website where people could purchase bags that they could keep in their car to give out to those in need. She also made an Instagram account to educate others about the problems affecting the homeless community and to let her followers know what they could do to help. We are so excited to have you hear Bella's story!
1:20:44•23 Jul 2019
Bella Baskin: From Addiction to Advocacy with Bless It Bag
“And because I've learned how to meditate and I learned how to sit with myself and be okay in myself and just be with me, I realized through my meditation practice that, like everything I ever searched for outside of myself, like happiness or love, acceptance, all those things that I searched for in the bottle or the cigarettes or the food I've had all along, yeah, and it became like more of like a power thing, a powerful thing, that I have all the things that I ever wanted.”
Imagine driving past the same homeless individuals every day, feeling the urge to help but fearing your contributions might feed their addictions. That was Bella Baskin's reality. At just 29, Bella is the founder and CEO of Bless It Bag, a charity born from her own experiences with addiction and recovery. In this episode of 'The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast', Bella shares her journey from addiction to creating a meaningful impact in her community.
Her story isn't just about overcoming addiction; it's about turning personal pain into a force for good. Bella's battle with addiction began as a way to cope with feelings of inadequacy and bullying, stemming from her adoption and not coming from a wealthy background. Her struggle led her down a dark path, including heroin addiction. But Bella's story is also one of resilience and transformation.
Through meditation and self-reflection, she found self-acceptance and happiness, despite the rocky road marked by relapses and body image issues. Bless It Bag started when Bella realized that giving cash to the homeless might perpetuate their addiction problems. Instead, she created bags filled with essential items like snacks, water, and hygiene products—things that could make a real difference without enabling harmful behaviors.
Bella’s initiative not only helps those in need but also educates others about homelessness and addiction through social media. This episode dives into the stigma surrounding addiction, the importance of service in sobriety, and the dangers of vaping and smoking. Bella’s message is clear: finding joy and self-love in recovery is possible. Her story is a testament to the power of turning personal struggles into positive change.
If you're looking for inspiration and practical insights on overcoming addiction, this episode is a must-listen.
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