*** 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.
Allison says
IKEA me!
I would work with neglected animals all day, every day.
bklyn76 says
IKEA me!
my hubby is living his dream right now by running an after-school health and fitness program in inner-city schools in NYC. with $100K he could expand his business to more schools, especially the ones that don’t have a budget for physcial education.
Brett G says
IKEA Me!!
I have done some work with the Make a Wish Foundation and always leave wishing I could do more. A year to devote to the foundation would be amazing.
Trisha says
“IKEA Me!” I would just love to spend a year of service…probably something with children that are needy!
Rebekah Bennett says
IKEA me!!!
I would find a way to help others through opening up my home… working with foster children or something else along those lines…or work with young moms.
Andrea says
IKEA ME!!! I love this store so much that I drive 5 hours to get to one!! :) If given the opportunity, I would spend a year volunteering to help people learn to read or helping in animal rescue organizations.
christina says
IKEA ME… I would love to work with young girls to improve their self-esteem and build their thirst for education
Heather says
IKEA me!!!
I would start a no-kill cat rescue in our area.
Andrea says
IKEA ME
I would spend a year working with habitat for humanity.
Noel P. says
IKEA me! And I would love to spend a year beautifying dilapidated inner city areas. And rescuing dogs.
caleb says
IKEA ME! For my year of service I would bring art to the children.
Liz says
IKEA me!
this is a long-held plan: i would set up a program in a local pool (or pools) involving FREE water exercise classes to underserved populations! this is two fold:
1) parent + special needs child. see, i’m a physical therapist with birth to 5 year olds. i would lead these classes in aquatic therapy of sorts for little kids (and hopefully employ other therapists as teachers too), teaching their parents activities and things. it would also help connect parents with other parents. win! there would be a stipend for gas money for those who need it. side benefits include movement and pain relief for parents who spend a lot of physical and emotional energy stressing about their children, as well as the chance to engage their children in an activity that is fun for everyone. just playing is as important as therapy.
2) elderly. there’s lots of water aerobics classes for elderly, but many elderly can’t afford to pay for them and/or have no transportation. there would be a network where elderly who do drive pick up those who don’t drive (community building!), with their gas costs subsidized by the program if needed. the savings in medication, therapy and hospitalization costs for relief of back pain alone would be worth it, and the psychological benefits of getting out of the house, exercising, and potentially helping others are icing on the cake–but totally necessary icing.
Kutzy says
IKEA ME!
I would love to create an after school program for under privileged students, so that they have a safe place to go.
Kana says
IKEA me!!
I would love to do something involving animals. Rescue, volunteering at free animal clinics, etc..
Roche says
IKEA ME!
I’d work at reproductive health clinics, escorting women in for abortions while telling off some anti-choicers during my breaks…That’s public service!
Erin D says
IKEA ME!
Wow, a year to volunteer. I would love to do Habitat for Humanity.
trish says
“IKEA Me!” I WOULD LOVE TO DO A SERVICE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY!
Mary-Beth says
IKEA ME!!! I would return to work with domestic violence survivors.
Ikea Me ! says
I would love to go to 3rd word countries and help do surgeries for kids with health problems.
Melanie says
Ikea me! I would spend a year with an organization dedicated to lifting helping underprivileged girls and women build self-esteem and vision for the future.
Tara @ Tara Being Tara says
IKEA ME!
I would spend my extra hour the way I spend my current service hours… volunteering with our local domestic violence crisis center.
Beth says
IKEA me!
What a hard question — I would probably teach in a needy school or foster\adopt children in need.
Jennifer G says
IKEA ME!
I would spend the year volunteering at organizations for children in need.
Julane says
IKEA me!!!
I really don’t know what I would do; perhaps help the young mothers around me with their housework/responsibilities so they can focus completely on their children and husbands without having to stop to change the laundry, clean the bathroom, wash dishes, etc…
Patricia says
“IKEA Me!” I would love to help children learn to sew or craft!
deirdre says
IKEA ME!
I would work with adult literacy programs.
Kim says
IKEA ME!
I would stay home with my two sweet children to help ensure I’m raising good peeps!!
Alia Truex says
IKEA ME!…Aside from being with my daughter for a complete year I would love to volunteer at a food shelter. I love seeing people get the food they need.
Angela says
IKEA ME!!!
I would continue teaching here in Dallas but get my school everything I could to help make there education amazing. All the things we wish for but don’t seem to have in the budget. Because I have met the “Superman” and he is all the amazing teachers at my school.
Andrea says
IKEA ME!
Currently I work for an agency that provides case management for individuals who have significant mental health issues. Securing and maintaining housing is always a serious challenge. I would spend the year devoting myself to making changes in legislation for fair, equal and affordable housing opportunities.
Jessie SS says
Ikea me! I would spend the year fighting puppy mills and pit bull fighting. I would do so through public awareness and campaigning for stricter legislation on the two issues.
Roxann Shook says
IKEA ME! I am doing it! I started a support group for folks struggling with bipolar disorder and depression. I am hoping to branch out into activism for mental health legislation and grassroots movements.
stephanie says
IKEA ME!!!!
no really, ME.
Mary says
Ikea me!!!
I’m a 9 year breast cancer survivor so I’d volunteer at a local American Cancer Society or Susan G. Komen for the Cure!
Lindsey says
IKEA ME!!!
I’d go into eastern Europe and help out the orphanages with supplies and better resources.
sara dean says
IKEA ME! It would be a toss-up between raising money to rescue animals from kill shelters and spending time with older children who don’t have families and are waiting to be adopted. (Although, after either I’d probably just end up bringing them all home with me.)
Kari says
IKEA me!!!!!
I’d love to travel and work with Compassion International, visiting the children they work with and help w/ projects to make life a bit easier for them! Thanks!!
Heidi says
IKEA me!!!!
I would travel to orphanages around the world and spend time with all those kiddos…teaching them, playing with them, talking to them, and loving on them!
colleen says
IKEA me!! Please…
after school art program…inspiring creativity in early learners…yep, that’s what I’d do!
Jonathan Mc says
IKEA me!
I would help people and organizations organize/budget their finances and get out of debt, and not have to charge them anything!
Aimee says
IKEA ME!!! Please..I have been off and have been taking care of a little one and totally lazy, sorry…we are getting ready to move also. anywho, what would I do to volunteer…I would go to a children’s hospital OR help animals…there is a neat sanctuary here (SE Indiana) that could really use some help to finish some amazing programs they have going. So, I would help them as much as I could.
pendy says
IKEA me!
Tammy says
IKEA ME!! I adore Ikea and if I had a year off, I would like to volunteer my time help cancer patients and also raise money for research.
Jenny Hoover says
IKEA ME
I would like to help single moms go back to school and better themselves by providing childcare and a center where they had support.
JoDi says
IKEA ME!!!
I would love to spend the year as a volunteer minister in another country!
Jennifer says
Oops, hope this doesnt post twice…lost my original post.
IKEA ME PLEASE…we will be using some the the smart IKEA storage solutions for small spaces in our little studio renovation.
I would love to help animals, but also, after helping care for my husbands elderly parents and now my own mom, I would love to start a program to help the elderly. It is so hard for them when they start losing their autonomy. And those of us helping want to do it for them, but really they need to be able to do some things for themselves. I would ensure all elderly (in a perfect world) have someone with them to help them and keep them company. It would be nice if that some one could be there so the elderly could do things they want to do until they get tired and then their helper could take over. It breaks my heart when my mom gets tired trying to cook or clean and then says, “Im just not worth anything anymore”. The elderly need someone there to remind them that they are priceless in our eyes!
Lauren says
Ikea me!
I would plan to volunteer at a different organization each month.
Kat says
Oooh, IKEA ME!
I would spend a year working with gang members and try to encourage them to use their energy to accomplish positive things in life rather than negative.
Alisa says
IKEA me!!!
I would open up an art school/craft studio like place in our old (but open to revival) town. I would have workshops galore!!
Maureen E says
Ikea Me!
If I could devote one year of my life helping others, I would volunteer my time helping out migrant farm workers. For 7 years of my adolescent life, I would spend a week at the camps handing out food, hosting fiestas and taking care of infants. It’s scary to think that inside America, there are places that still resemble third world countries with buckets as bathrooms and dirt as flooring. Despite the surroundings, I can honestly say it was one of the happiest moments of my life and there is nowhere else I would rather go to volunteer my time and talents.