For Charles “Wish Bone” Scruggs of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and his wife Mia Scruggs, community is more than a word, it’s a responsibility. Along with Angela Flowers, founder of Making A Difference Consulting, LLC, a fellow Glenville native and nonprofit strategist, they are building Beyond the Wishing Well to restore the neighborhood that raised them.
Beyond the Wishing Well is a new Glenville-based nonprofit focused on helping families gain the tools and resources they need to thrive. The organization’s priorities center on financial literacy, mental health, and youth mentorship. Mia brings over two decades of banking experience to her role leading workshops on credit, budgeting and first-time homeownership, while Flowers, a licensed mental health professional, emphasizes coping skills and community wellness. Together, they see financial knowledge and mental health support as the foundation for long-term stability in the neighborhood.
In the meantime, Beyond the Wishing Well is meeting people where they are with hands on community-centered events. Their recent Back-to-School Book Bag Giveaway, provided 500 students with backpacks filled with supplies, free food and connections to local resources. Planned future initiatives include holiday food baskets, toy drives, and partnerships with local organizations to expand programming. The long-term vision is bigger: a home base in Glenville where residents can access classes, mentorship and support year-round.
Flowers is deeply tied to Glenville, having grown up just blocks away from Scruggs’ family home. For her, joining forces with Scruggs was natural.
“Every neighborhood that raised me, I give back to,” she says. “Glenville made me. It’s important we pour into the same places that poured into us.”
Mia serves as executive director of the nonprofit, while Charles lends his platform and visibility as co-founder. Together with Flowers’ expertise in strategy and grant writing, the trio is focused on tackling systemic issues that continue to weigh on their community: financial literacy, youth mentorship, mental health and housing access.
Both Charles and Mia grew up in Glenville, surrounded by family, neighbors and a culture of closeness.
“Everybody was like family. Everybody knew each other,” Mia recalls. “That sense of support is what we want to bring back.”
Charles cites his grandmother, known to many in the neighborhood as “Granny,” as a guiding force. “She always wanted to make things better,” he says. “That spirit pushes me to give back.”
Though their paths never crossed in Glenville as kids, fate eventually connected Charles and Mia through family ties and work. Years later, their partnership grew into a shared vision: create an organization that could pour resources, knowledge and hope back into the community.
A Block Party With Purpose
Beyond the Wishing Well officially launched in 2022, and on a sunny Saturday in August 2025, they hosted their first major event: a Back-to-School Book Bag Giveaway at the Harmony District on East 99th and St. Clair.
In partnership with Spread the Love Foundation (founded by Charles’s bandmate Krayzie Bone) and Equity Capital Mortgage Group, the team gave out 500 backpacks filled with supplies to Cleveland youth. With the help of more than 50 volunteers, they welcomed over 750 attendees throughout the day.
The giveaway included more than free backpakcs and school supplies. The nonprofit also brought free food trucks and free ice cream from Masir’s Ice Cream Treats, Disney characters, bounce houses, DJs, face painting, and even a smoothie stand. Local vendors like Tru Media Films, Ned Sanders Photography, Eternal 360 Videos, The Smoothie Stand & Co., Twisted Twirls, and Smoky Sweet Soul were also in attendance. The event drew notable guests, including Cleveland Councilwoman Stephanie Howse, Joe Little of The Rude Boys, Caine TL from The Life Entertainment,Park, Play, Party provided the bounce houses and cartoon characters, and media crews from News 5 and Fox 8.
“It started out simple, just backpacks,” Mia says, “but so many people wanted to contribute that it grew into something bigger — a full celebration for the community.”
Building Beyond One Day
The work is about more than events. It’s about reclaiming Glenville’s story, the Scruggs say. Once a vibrant hub of Black-owned businesses, culture, and artistry, the area has suffered decades of disinvestment, worsened by the pandemic. Charles and Mia believe the answer lies not in gentrification but in investing directly in the people who are already there.
“We want it to look like us,” Mia says. “We want it to be for our community, our people.”
Flowers echoes that sentiment, tying the nonprofit’s work to broader health and stability. “When you don’t invest in communities, it affects mental health,” she explains. “Our goal is to equip families with coping skills and resources that let them thrive where they are.”
The vision for the next three years includes expanded financial literacy programs, more housing opportunities, and steady community events, from toy drives to mentorship programs. It also means ongoing collaboration with Bone Thugs members.
Still, the challenges are real. Funding is competitive, especially for Black-led nonprofits.
“Only one percent of foundation dollars go to Black nonprofits,” Angela notes. “That’s why partnerships and visibility are critical.”
For Charles, Mia, and Angela, the work is worth it. “People say celebrities leave and don’t give back,” Mia says. “We’re still here. We want the community to know we’re invested. This is home.”
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