May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

The Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center, one of the largest community-based mental health and addiction treatment organizations based in Harlem, is launching a powerful and playful take on the Ice Bucket Challenge — with a local twist and a serious message.

From May 25–31, Bowen’s our “Bowen’s Freeze for Mental Health” campaign will raise awareness and funds to support the Bowen Center’s life-changing mental health and addiction treatment programs — especially in underserved communities.

The challenge is simple:

Individuals record a short video, including a fact about the Bowen Center (see below)
Dump a bucket of ice water over their head
Donate $25
Nominate others to do the same
Share the video on social media, tagging the Bowen Center, along with the hashtag #BowensFreezeforMentalHealth

The goal is to spark participation from 200 people in just one week!

Are you in?

Who will you challenge?

BOWEN CENTER FACTS

Please feel free to use one of these “Bowen Facts” in your Challenge video — or share your own story!

The Bowen Center provides mental health, addiction treatment, and supportive services to more than 5,000 individuals and families each year across Harlem, Upper Manhattan, and beyond.
Our Food Pantry distributes over 88,000 packages of food annually to families experiencing financial hardship across Harlem and Upper Manhattan.
As one of the largest community-based mental health centers in Harlem, The Bowen Center’s mission is to help individuals and families navigate the “problems of living” through compassionate, comprehensive care.
The Bowen Center’s team includes multilingual, culturally competent professionals: psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, social workers, addiction counselors, case managers, vocational rehab specialists, and early childhood educators.
The Bowen Center’s Rainbow Clubhouse is a psychosocial program that fosters peer support, employment training, and social connection for adults living with serious mental illness.
The Bowen Center’s Addiction Treatment Services (ATS) program offers a holistic approach to recovery, with individual, group, and family counseling, plus peer support.
The Bowen Center’s Therapeutic Preschool is one of the few NYC programs primarily serving Black and Latino preschoolers with mental health needs, autism, developmental delays, and emotional trauma.
No one is turned away — the Bowen Center offer services on a sliding fee scale, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
The Bowen Center is a proud and visible supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and equality.
The Bowen Center’s ABLE House provides transitional housing and recovery support for men returning from the criminal justice system.
The Bowen Center’s Care Management program helps to improve quality of life of their clients by addressing mental health, medical needs, addiction, and other social determinants of health — reducing unnecessary ER visits and hospitalizations.
The Bowen Center’s Behavioral Outpatient Program serves individuals and families of all ages seeking mental health support.
The Bowen Center’s School-Based Program delivers therapeutic services to students ages 4 to 19 in a safe and supportive environment. It currently operates in four NYC public schools, with plans to expand to six by the end of 2025.
The Bowen Center lives by the motto: “Mental Health is Health.” Every person deserves access to healing, dignity, and hope.

Bowen's Freeze for Mental Health