*** 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.
Kelly says
IKEA Me!
What a great question! I would take the year to develop an after school Taekwondo program for children in low socioeconomic neighborhoods. Not only would they get exercise, they would get the benefit of learning the meaning of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. I’ve learned these as an adult and wish I’d had someone to show me that I’m capable of more than I ever imagined.
kirsten says
Ikea me! If I had a year to give I would volunteer with habitat for humanity.
Robin K says
IKEA Me!
I would open a crisis pregnancy center to help girls/women with unplanned pregnancies obtain the resources/classes they need to succeed at being a Mom.
Anne says
IKEA Me! If I had a year, I think I’d like to help the elderly: drive them to dr. appts, visit them in their homes or nursing homes, assist with shopping and other “chores” which are difficult for them to accomplish.
Ellen says
IKEA ME!
Wow, a whole year off to build a better community.. I think I would try starting an urban vegetable garden. It could get people outside, beautify a vacant lot, and help people eat more healthfully!
michelle says
IKEA ME!
With $100,000 I would start a non-profit that teaches local low income families how to turn their yards into organic gardens and how to raise chickens in the city.
or..
I would open a place that teaches kids art and music since so many of our schools are cutting these important electives.
Katie R says
Ikea Me!
If I could take a year off from everyday life, I would love to do a year of working in an orphanage. I’ve worked in orphanages for short term but I’d love an opportunity to build relationships with the kids.
Stephanie B says
Ikea me!
If I had the opportunity to help others, I would spend it in Africa working in an orphanage. I am graduating in May and I really want to go to South Africa to work with kids!
Hannah says
Ikea me! I’d help children in my neighborhood, Dorchester, MA, by providing opportunities for them outside of school where they could play and learn.
Heather M says
IKEA Me! I would spend a year helping elementary schools in low income neighborhoods find ways add music and art programs.
Miranda says
IKEA me!!!! I am a pediatric nurse so I would love to spend more time helping kids in other ways (not just in the hospital)……
Marissa says
IKEA ME!!!
I would help parents who struggle to find childcare. My husband and I have made a commitment to each other to put our marriage as the top priority in our life and we are blessed with family nearby to help us have date nights. I would help other parents find that time to make their marriages a priority.
Erin says
Ikea me! I would work with foster to adoption programs.
Leigh-Anne says
IKEA ME! If I had one year helping others I would develop a program to help educate children, parents, and anyone else about eating more nutritional foods. Our mantra would be “Let food be thy medicine” ~ Hippocrates. The world can only improve if we are all of sound mind and body.
Abbey says
IKEA ME! I’d spend a year working at a crisis pregnancy center.
hannah says
Ikea me! I’d work in an after school program for kids in my neighborhood.
Kendra says
IKEA ME!
If I had a year to give, I would spend it volunteering in a food bank. These last few years have been tough on many, and if I can help out by providing families with food for their table, I think it would be an extremely rewarding experience.
Hillary says
IKEA ME!!
I would love to do something with nutrition in our public school systems and help fight childhood obesity!
Lauren says
IKEA me! I would spend a year with Habitat for Humanity.
hannah says
Ikea Me! I’d work with my church’s ESL and GED programs.
Talia says
IKEA ME!
I am an SPED teacher, so I would love to take a year to help parents whose children have recently been diagnosed with autism by helping them with intervention strategies.
Sara Wade says
IKEA ME! Hmmm… If I had a year to give, I think that I would work with youth teaching reading or I would work with an organization such as Not For Sale battling the child sex trade.
Jessica W says
IKEA me!
If I had a year and financial support, I would probably do something closer to home and do something about the homeless population of Austin. Every time we drive anywhere here, you see at least one person. And I think to myself “how did they get to that point in their life?”
brenda says
IKEA ME!
i would foster dogs,to give them a loving temporary home before they are adopted…
Catharine says
IKEA ME!!!! :D
Dawn says
IKEA ME! I’d visit with people in nursing homes.
Stacy says
IKEA Me! I would want to do some type of work with children–so many could use help!
Danielle says
IKEA Me! I’d spend my year helping young, underpriveleged mothers and their babies. I totally have a place in my heart for how hard it is to be a momma!!
Beth says
IKEA Me!
I would spend a year teaching English in a foreign country.
haley says
IKEA ME!
If I had a year of giving back and making a difference, I would help children in some capacity… probably children who have been victims of child abuse because they need someone to care about them and show them love as they’ve probably never had that!
Jennifer S. says
IKEA me! I would work to provide healthcare for all citizens of the USA, no matter their wealth or lack of.
Marisa says
IKEA ME!
I’d do something with our local food banks, who are really struggling. I can’t imagine being hungry – and I don’t think anyone should have to.
Amanda says
Ikea Me!
If I had a year to help others, I would work with the local battered women’s shelter to help women and their children who have been victims of domestic violence to get their lives back. It’s a very overlooked issue. These women often leave their homes with no clothes, no toiletries…literally nothing. They need jobs or need to be able to keep their jobs to get back on their feet.
Courtney says
IKEA ME!!! As an occupational therapist for children I would love to donate my time helping children in other countries where they don’t have therapists. I would also love to help with animal rescue!
Brianne says
IKEA ME!!
If I could take a year off from work and have $100,000, I would LOVE to volunteer for a year in a foreign country.
Nadia says
Ikea me! I’d love to start an organization in my area that goes around decorating and renovating homeless shelters and women’s shelters!
Jamie Reeder says
IKEA ME!!!!
I work at an children’s hospital and would love to volunteer and help in some way. Children are so sweet.
Thank you for the opportunity to win this awesome gift!
Ashley says
IKEA ME!
If I was able to take a year off, I would work with Rostro de Cristo (a non-profit organization that runs out of Duran, Ecuador.) The volunteers host retreat groups and work with the Ecuadorian people (run childcare centers, afterschool programs, volunteer at a leprosy clinic, etc.) I had the pleasure of going on a one-week retreat through school last year, and I would absolutely love to work with them again!
Lesley Parent says
IKEA ME! I live in a college town and we have an excellent program to aid victims of domestic violence. Would love to spend a year helping out. Cheers! Lesley
Elizabeth says
IKEA Me!
I would rescue as many dogs as possible :-)
Amanda E says
Ikea Me please!
If I could take a year off, I’d work at at our local rape recovery center. I think it’s a very important resource for victims that needs more attention.
Amber says
IKEA ME!
I’ve always wanted to do habitat for humanity….or maybe some other mission work in Louisiana and Texas. It’s been five years since Katrina, and it’s still a mess down there. They need so much help.
Erin says
Ikea me! I would work with the Leukemia & lymphoma society.
Jonna says
IKEA ME
I would take a year’s leave of absence from my full-time job and dedicate the work week to my pet charity, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, building awareness of how little funding drug companies and the federal government commit to finding less toxic therapies for kids with cancer.
Meredith says
IKEA ME!!
Another school teacher, and I would love to work with at- need schools setting up hands-on learning activities to give some of these kids real-world experiences that many of them have never had.
Also, would love to go to a third-world country to get a true understanding of what global poverty is like.
ananda says
IKEA Me!
Start an Art Outreach Program which focuses on children in under served communities.
Claudia says
IKEA me!!!
I would do something autism related. My youngest son is a High Functioning Autistic and I would love to help kids like him!
Kristin says
IKEA ME!!
We are in the process of becoming foster parents and could use the the IKEA card for cool kids’ stuff.
I would love to take a year off and educate young parents so there wouldn’t be such a need for foster parents.
Autumn Dell says
IKEA ME! I would spend a year cleaning up a low income neighborhood.
nicole says
ikea me!
I would go to Haiti every other month for the whole year and use the money to continue the work of the non profit I helped to start in 1997 called Hut Outreach. (wouldnt move there cuz that wouldnt fly with my 3 kiddos… but going several times in a year would allow me to do ALOT with the money.