*** 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.
helen l. says
ikea me! I’d spend the year helping children in need.
Andrew says
IKEA Me!
I would like to work in a local food shelf to help give food to those that don’t have much.
Katie says
IKEA me! I would spend the year helping schools plan and plant edible gardens as well as revamp the lunches so the staff could utilize the fresh produce that the students grow. Dreams…
Diane says
IKEA ME! I would use my graphic design skills and marketing knowledge to help those that are unemployed and want to start their own businesses to create marketing plans and branding materials to get them started at no charge!
Laura @ so alaurable says
IKEA ME!
What an excellent question. If I had a whole year to give, I would travel to an impoverished area and help provide healthcare (if my future-doctor husband could come) or education.
Joy says
Ikea Me!
I would help homeless and hungry Children somehow.
Amy says
IKEA Me! I would love to spend a year volunteering in an orpanage caring for and holding babies who don’t have anyone.
Shellie says
IKEA ME!
If I had a year to give, I would want to help children of low income familes. I came from that and really could have used someone’s guidance that I didn’t have to live that life.
kellyf says
ikea me!
i would love to teach underpriviliged kids in low income areas or run an after school program…there is such a need for it!
Chip Donoghue says
IKEA Me!
I would work with UNICEF to improve the lives of children worldwide and to ensure every child’s right to health, education, equality and protection.
Krista says
Ikea Me! If I had a year to give I would like to help rural farmers who are on the brink of losing their farms.
Josh says
IKEA ME!
It would be neat to work with children in poor areas without good community programs in place. I could bring in my knowledge of coaching and sports and get them off the streets and into productive activities.
Meghan says
IKEA ME! I would spruce up some classrooms in the Bronx :).
Salena Santos says
Ikea ME!!
I would love to volunteer at a homeless shelter.
Naomi says
IKEA ME!!!
Once finishing law school, I’d provide a year of pro-bono legal work. :)
Amber Smith says
Ikea Me, I would work with Habitat for Humanity.
N says
Ikea me!
Alyssa says
IKEA ME! I would volunteer my time at the Humane Society, giving the animals there much needed love and attention while raising awareness to find them loving homes.
Rayna says
IKEA ME!!!
I would spend my year rescuing animals and driving them North or West! The animal shelters here in Atlanta are overwhelmed with loving, amazing animals who are never adopted, and sadly euthanized, while elsewhere in the country (like the Northeast), shelters are empty because of the stringent (and fabulous) spaying and neutering laws. So I would spend my time and money driving loving pets to shelters where they could find their permanent home.
Sarah says
IKEA me!
I would start a program for preteen girls, educating them on how to be self-confident and how to say no to a lot of the pressures young girls are facing these days!!
Kasia says
IKEA Me!
I’d go back to my home town and open a yoga studio for the local community. Anybody could come, have some hot tea, look through yoga albums, practice yoga, rediscover the sense of living and meet like-minded people :)
Ashley W says
IKEA me!!
Emily says
IKEA ME!
I would love to help pregnant teen girls who are on their own.
Jessi says
IKEA ME!
I would volunteer full-time for the Jake Owen Raborn Foundation supporting families enduring pediatric cancer!
Elizabeth says
IKEA ME!
As a teacher, I would provide tutoring for a year. :)
April Gann says
IKEA Me!
If I could spend a year helping, I would love to create a mentoring program in the school where I already mentor kids. This program would connect FAMILIES. So strong families could help support those that need some guidance…or have newly immigrated and we always know that the mentoring actually goes both ways…
Ashlee says
IKEA ME!
Oh, man, what would I do with a year and $100,000 to help people? I’m passionate about a lot of things: kids and music, animals, veterans, education … I’d have to spend a lot of time on a decision like that.
As for the $350? I totally know where that would go: a storage cabinet for our bedroom!
Carla says
IKEA Me!
I would start an organization that would homeless families get back on their feet. It would not only provide shelter, but would help them find jobs, get into college, etc.
catherine says
IKEA Me…. Baby!
uhmm! what would I do if I could spend a whole year volunteering?
I would help people de-clutter their homes, sell their extra items, make them some money and rid them of unnecessary debt…. people would go crazy if they knew the amount of junk they have and the amount of $$$$ there is behind it…
IKEA Me Baby… come on!!
Tana I says
IKEA ME!
I have ALWAYS dreamed of setting up a Scholarship Foundation for kids who have grown up in orphanges or foster care. Many scholarships are available for the creme a la creme in the academic world. Due to the difficult home-life, not having parents or families to lean on, kids that finally make it on their own (turn 18) are left to fend for themselves. They deserve a chance to go to college and get a great education. I would love to be able to help fan the flame of another person’s dream to go to college.This has always been my dream-Ikea, please make this dream a reality!
Bethany says
Ikea Me! I would love to be involved with an organization that helps those on food stamps (which is a large percentage right now) to prepare healthy meals for their family.
Erin R says
IKEA ME!
I already volunteer at a local half-way house for substance abusers, but to extend this I would offer myself to help teens that suffer the same obstacles.
Lesli N says
IKEA, Me!! Please!
Hi, I am a special needs teacher at a wonderful middle school in central Georgia. My school has a high population of economically disadvantaged kids, therefore they do not have much going on other than school.
I would love to have the opportunity to take these kids outside of our town to experience things that they would never get to do otherwise.
Most of them have not left the city limits ever, and how rewarding for both them and myself, to have a program that would offer such opportunities?
Thanks :)
Saying a little prayer…
Whitney B. says
Ikea me!!
I would work to keep music in schools. Music had and continues to gave a n impact on my life!
Karen Tuck says
Ikea me! I would spend a year working with an animal rescue group or with veterinarians on a free mobile cat spay and neuter program targeting the feral cat overpopulation.
Ashley says
Oh my, please IKEA ME! Love, love, love that place!! If I had a chance I’d love to have a safe center for kids of all ages to come hang out and play. And, if I was really adventurous, that same center would act as a foster home to dogs who were waiting to find homes. The kids could learn responsibly in taking care of the dogs, and of course the dogs would get many great companions in return!
Wren says
IKEA ME!!!
That’s a hard question. Lots of need out there. I would spend my time working with illiterate children and adults right here in the United States. There are a surprising amount of people out there who have never learned and struggle their whole lives. My son is dyslexic. Reading has been so hard for him, but so worth it.
ashley says
IKEA ME!
I would work for my favorite Church Hill organization doing great work here in Richmond – Peter Paul Development Center!
Emily says
IKEA ME! I would love to use that time and money to help families who are looking to adopt children but haven’t been able to for one reason or another.
Ashley says
IKEA ME!
I would love to take time to work in a particular local animal shelter that is in danger of closing due to lack of funding. I can’t do much to help financially, but I’d do what I could to help care for the dogs.
Adrian Ryce says
IKEA me!
And I’d expand the program I currently volunteer with where we help kids make video scrapbooks with their families and help them understand the impact of media in their lives.
Gabrielle says
IKEA ME!
I would give 100% of my time helping animals. They have no voice, we are all they have if you think about it…
Emily says
IKEA ME!
So many ideas come to mind… but I guess at the top: I spent a year teaching English overseas…. I’d love to go back.
Carly says
IKEA ME!!!
Being a nurse I would work at and maybe open a free clinic
MARTHA D'AVILA says
IKEA ME!!
It would be great to help in low income area schools.
Heather Smith says
IKEA me!
Jenny says
IKEA ME!
I would spend a year volunteering in free clinics and organizing medical missionary trips to low income areas.
Tara Bishop says
IKEA ME!
I would work with teenage girls to help them embrace who they truly are and find joy in who God has created them to be!
Lindsey says
IKEA ME! If I had a year off I would volunteer to work with autistic children to aide in their communication and feeding difficulties.
Nikki says
IKEA me!
I’d like to help elderly people make upgrades to their homes to help them age in place. So much of the aging population is attached to their home (just like the rest of us!) and it’d be great to help them maintain their lifestyle with the necessary upgrades.
Thanks!