*** This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – scroll down to see who won!***
Perhaps you’ve heard of a little store called Ikea? And perhaps you’ll be interested in a $350 gift card from them for this week’s giveaway? Yeah we couldn’t believe it either when they emailed us. Hooray is right, Ikea catalog. Well said.
And not only are they generously offering up this week’s sweet prize, Ikea’s also presenting “The Life Improvement Project” where they’ll award one philanthropic individual $100,000 to take a one year sabbatical to help others (start a non-profit, volunteer for a year, etc). Plus they’re hosting free seminars in their stores about improving your life through your living space.
But back to how you can get your mitts on that $350 gift card:
- PRIZE: A $350 gift card to Ikea!
- TO ENTER: Comment on this post with the words “IKEA Me!” and…
- BONUS QUESTION: … tell us what you’d do if you could spend one year helping others. Would you open an after school program? Volunteer at a homeless shelter? Rescue animals?
- GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Wednesday, October 27th at 8pm EST
- NUMBER OF WINNERS: One
- PRIZE SHIPS: The United States
- USUAL STUFF: One entry per e-mail address is permitted. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced on Thursday as an update to this post. That’s right, come right back here Thursday morning for the announcement of our winner. Good luck…
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You guys are quite impressive with your nearly 11,000 entries. So impressive in fact that Ikea decided to change their plans and give away not just one, not just two, but THREE $350 gift cards. That’s over $1000 in gift cards! Thanks Ikea!
So let’s see who the lucky three winners are according to random.org:
- Alyssa Allen (who’s Life Improvement Project would include moving her fam somewhere in the world to help the poverty crisis)
- NEPD (who’d give her wedding florist services away free of charge)
- Jill (who’d give a year working with the Wildlife Conservation Society)
Note: We weren’t paid or perk’d for hosting this giveaway, we just take them on to reward our lovely readers! See our Giveaway FAQs page for more info. Pics from Ikea.
Becca says
IKEA me!
Rescuing animals for sure. My heart belongs to the animals.
Linda says
IKEA ME!
I have been looking for a job (and just found one- yay!) and would love to volunteer to help other people looking for jobs- building their resumes, practice interviews ect.
amy h says
IKEA me!
if I could take a year off of the daily grind to start something new, I would create a non-profit focused on combining massage, artistic expression and counseling for girls and young women specifically focused on body image, self-awareness and increasing self-confidence.
Callie says
IKEA ME!
It would be hard to chose. I would love to go back to Romania and help out in the Failure to Thrive Clinics like I years ago. We also have a large population of Chin refugees in our community that need help learning English and the basics of how to adjust to culturally. Or I would help poeple with special needs (which was my full time job until becoming a mom).
Thanks for the fabulous give-away!
elisa says
Ikea me!
Becky says
IKEA Me! I would work with homeless children.
Ashley Hennes says
Ikea me!!
I would work with abused and abandoned animals- especially dogs!
MaryBe says
Ikea Me!
I would spend the year at our local SPCA. It’s a No-Kill Shelter and always full of sweet animals
Sarah says
Ikea Me!
If I had a year sabbatical, I would help my mother start a shelter for abandoned dogs. Its something that she has always wanted to do!
Katelyn N says
IKEA ME!
Over the course of a year I would move to Thailand and do my part to free women from sexual slavery. Poverty in Thailand has forced hundreds of thousands of women into sexual slavery and prostitution. It is estimated that two children are sold into slavery every minute! This past weekend I ran in a race called Run For Their Lives put on my Freedom 4/24. Every participant pays $24 to run, which is the cost of paying for a women for 24 hours, hence the name Freedom 4/24! It is such a great cause and one worthy of my time, money, and so much more!
Sarah Curry says
IKEA Me please!!!
If I could take a year off I would open a teen center that would offer teens a place to hang out but not feel like they have to party or do drugs to have a good time. It would be sort of like a club but with none of the stuff that destroys their lives, ie alcohol, drugs, etc. During the day there would be adults there to hang out with and talk to about their problems. This is something my husband and I would love to do someday!
Julia Harts the Man says
IKEA ME!
I would love to take a year and be a traveling music teacher in preschools around Champaign-Urbana. Early childhood education really needs more music for all those little minds to grow and I would love to be able to help with it!
Holly says
Ikea me!
Courtney James says
IKEA me!!
I would love to work on worldwide hunger :)
katherine says
IKEA me!
I can’t decide. If I had to stay in this area I would take a year to serve where we already volunteer as time allows, at a group foster home for young girls and teenaged moms. If we could go anywhere we’d probably head back to Guatemala to the orphanage we saw when we were first married. Either way we’d be loving on kids who really need some love.
Vicki P says
IKEA me, please! :) I’d like to volunteer with Domestic Violence victims’ shelters, helping to gather items that the folks there may need and working to build self-esteem with victims as well.
Catie says
IKEA ME!
I think a year would be well-spent renovating homes and apartment buildings that have fallen by the wayside so that they can be suitable housing for people. Sort of like Extreme Makeover Home Edition but on a smaller scale. I see so many broken down homes around the area I live and where I went to college. People live in these decrepit structures and put their own health and the health of their families at risk because they have nowhere else to go. I always want to do something for them, but I can’t within my own means.
Neal says
IKEA ME!
Jessica says
IKEA ME!
I would do more volunteering with Habit for Humanity
Kaitlin says
IKEA ME! and congrats on the best giveaway ever!!
Kate says
Ikea Me!!
I would want to help with kids – not sure how but I know there are so many opportunities.
Jane in STL says
IKEA me! please
I’d cotinue my work establishing a community garden in our area. Get more schools involved, too.
Jennifer F. says
Ikea me!! If I had a year off, I’d spend it working on a low cost spay/neuter program for animals. I volunteer with a rescue (that we adopted 2 dogs from), and one way I see to break the cycle of unwanted animals is low cost spay/neuter. I’d also support something like Best Friends Puppies Aren’t Products campaign to teach people not to buy animals from pet stores and back yard breeders!
Sylvia says
IKEA me!!!! Please!!! :)
Jennifer says
IKEA ME!
If I could take a year off, I would absolutely rescue animals (maybe work for the Rolling Dog Ranch in New Hampshire).
Kristeen says
IKEA Me!
If I could take a year off, I would probably go back to Uganda and serve with some missionary friends I have there. I’d help at the schools, go to rural villages and help with first aid. I was able to do this 6 years ago and keep wishing to go back.
Kelley says
Ikea me!
I would love to spend a whole year working with children with learning disabilities. Many children aren’t able to receive the 1-1 attention that they need to be successful in school. It would be great! :)
Stephanie says
I work for a fabulous nonprofit that funds children’s cancer research and provides support services for families of affected children. I can’t imagine a more rewarding career or experience, so I’d spend the year doing what I already love and enjoy!
Mel says
IKEA Me! I would work with Habitat for Humanity.
Faith says
Ikea Me!! I think I would adopt all those animals that they kill at the shelters – or pay for them – something…those commercials always get to me…
rae says
IKEA ME!
i would help out at a no kill shelter
Emily H says
I’d spend my year rescuing dogs and finding them forever homes and families.
Natalie says
IKEA Me!!!
Oh my – if I could take an entire year off… I would probably start a nonprofit organization for children in need. I would want to offer everything from after school care, transportation to worship services, exercise programs, athletic teams, etc.
Doug L. says
IKEA ME!
This is awesome
Amanda says
IKEA Me!
I would love to do literacy work with disadvantaged children. Perhaps it could be done as an after school program. Not only would this help the children with academics but it would benefit parents who can’t be home from work until later in the day and who can’t pay for childcare.
susan says
IKEA Me! I would spend time helping others by shopping for and sending stuff to my friend who teaches in Haiti. She has a list of items that she needs for school and I would love to help her out! I recently went to visit the school where she works and it was amazing. I can think of no better way to spend my time helping those who truly NEED it!
susie says
Ikea me!
I would like to do something with environmental advocacy, environmental clean up, etc., which would not be an enormous departure from my day job… I guess that’s a good thing!
Lynn says
IKEA Me!
If I could spend a year helping people I would want to volunteer in the foster care system. These are children that need support and unconditional love.
Erin says
IKEA ME! I would love to work with the elderly in a fun positive environment that provides laughter and peace for them!
Tracie says
Ikea Me! I’d spend a year developing a program to support teen mothers in going to college. Supportive housing, appropriate childcare, programs to help them have meaningful experiences that will help them land jobs post-graduation…
Renee Walters says
IKEA Me!
If I had the time and money, I would give back to the Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald house is an organization that sets up comfortable rooms adjacent to hospitals for families to stay while their children are ill. I had open heart surgery when I was young, and my family was offered a place to stay during a blizzard so they could be near me. This is a tremendous charity and is amazingly comforting for families who live out of state and cant afford hotel rooms on top of very expensive medical bills.
The Ronald McDonald house always needs volunteers to keep the room organized, check in families, and to keep families company while making them feel as comfortable as possible. I feel like I would be helpful, and could give parents hope by telling them my story, and letting them know that I had heart surgery at 13, and now I am 30 and doing great.
Gayle says
IKEA me!!!
I would devote my time to victims and children of domestic violence. Been there, done that. It takes guts to get out, but it takes some cash for a few months to get good attorney representation, living expenses, childcare, and make getting out a safe option. Most people DO want to do it on their own without being put on government assistance, but just need a small $$ jumpstart to get it going. There are better ways to do what’s already being done.
Caryn says
IKEA ME!!! What an amazing prize!! We definitely have an IKEA wishlist brewing…
I would spend my year working with support groups for cancer patients and their families. Inadvertently the patient’s families often are lost in the background during treatment and care, but this disease affects them on such a deep emotional level as well. These support groups are vital for the complete healing of both the patient and their family care givers.
Cathy C. says
IKEA ME! If I took a year off I would develop a program to bring research science to high school students, and in particular women, in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
aubrey says
IKEA Me!
shannon says
ikea me!!!
i would volunteer helping animals. either helping a humane society build to hold more animals or at a farm animal sanctuary such as the gentle barn :)
Cari says
IKEA Me!
I would volunteer as part of an animal rescue and rehabilitation organization. There are so many unloved animals that people have cast aside; it just breaks my heart.
Lizzie says
Ikea Me!! Por favor! I would definitely start an animal sanctuary to protect homeless/abused animals. I rescued both my dog and cat and I wish I had the space/resources to save more unwanted animals. I visit our local shelter often and it breaks my heart to see all the pit bulls and chihuahuas overcrowded in the shelter.
Lauren P. says
IKEA ME! If I were granted a year to help others, I would like to start a program in my area to help children with special needs bond with their peers in a setting outside of the classroom. Children of various needs can form incredibly strong relationships with one another if given a healthy and warm environment, and I would love to spark and encourage that opportunity.
Colleen says
IKEA Me!!
I would love to start a cat rescue facility – there are so many strays that need a good home!