*** 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…
******************************
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.
Larissa says
IKEA Me!
If I had a year off I would be a support system and advocate for children in the foster system. I think every child should feel loved and special and I would spend a year trying to do that for each child that I could.
Brooke R. says
Ikea Me!
I would love to work with a local school getting better nutrition and local foods into the daily lunches.
Donald D. says
IKEA ME! I would spend my year helping terminally ill children make the hospital feel more like a home, by reading to them and playing with them.
Diana T. says
IKEA Me! I’d help below-level readers get back on track in school.
Tara Lange says
Ikea Me!
1 year off I would love to work volunteer at St.. Jude Hospital!
Beth huffstutler says
Ikea me!
A year of giving to others for me would be volunteering at Children’s Hospital here in Birmingham, AL. My son has been ther several times for minor & curable things. For so many children, that is their home. I would love to give back the kindness & compassion that was given to us.
Erin says
IKEA me! i would dedicate a year to non-profit architecture and community design.
Lindsay says
IKEA Me! I would volunteer at the school that I teach at and it’d be so great because I wouldn’t even need to be paid.
kim says
IKEA ME!!!!!
with a year off i would love to go on more missions trips. my husband and i hiked the andes in peru and spread the good news that jesus loves them. i’d love to do that again, or maybe go on several different missions throughout the year.
Maggie Berning says
Ikea Me! I am struggling with infertility and have been for the last 2 years. If I could take a year off, I would travel to companies and explain why fertility insurance coverage would be so much help to those in need. I would also travel around and host fertility support groups for women in the same place that I am!
Mollie P says
IKEA ME!
I would start a program helping children to learn to read.
Brei says
Ikea me….. would be a foster parent. Hope to soon.
Kent says
IKEA Me! I would dig wells in Africa.
Sean McMullen says
IKEA ME!
I would volunteer at my daughter’s school.
Elizabeth says
Ikea me!
If I could devote a whole year to a single cause, I’d work to prevent suicide among teens and adults. Mental illness is an incredibly prevalent and yet largely overlooked problem in our country, and I’ve lost several loved ones to suicide over the years. With all the recent suicides in the national news, it’s about time we addressed this crucial issue!
Sarah Summers says
IKEA ME! IKEA ME! IKEA ME!
I would help my husband with his sports ministry!
Beth says
IKEA ME!
I would volunteer at a youth home (they used to be called orphanages).
Josie says
Ikea me!
I would read to children everywhere in a literacy campaign.
Rachel says
IKEA Me!!
In a world w/o any constraints I’d go to Haiti and help in an orphanage or somewhere to help the children. But since I’m here, in the US, with my own children I would want to do something to help children locally. Thanks!
Abra Zobel says
IKEA Me! I really need some shelving… Too many books in our house!
If I could spend a year helping others I would work on sustainable agriculture, nutrition, and education in Honduras. It is a place that has the resources (sun, soil, water) to be successful but not the opportunity (education, infrastructure, support).
Jamie says
IKEA me!
If I could take a year off, I would start a community center in my town so all of the area children would have a safe place to go and have some fun!
Gloria Kressin says
IKEA Me! I’ve always wanted to work with Habitat for Humanity, but never had the time.
Jennifer Knight says
IKEA me!
I would volunteer at Anasazi, a Foundation that runs wilderness camps for teenagers.
Shirley says
Ikea Me!
I would spend a year helping disabled children!
Rachel says
“Ikea Me!”
I would open an after school program for under privileged children.
Megan says
IKEA me!!
A whole year? I would love to travel to a third world country and teach/play with all the kiddos….
Natasha says
IKEA me! I’d love to spend a year loving on orphaned babies, maybe in an orphanage in eastern Europe.
Vinny says
IKEA ME!
A whole year, I would use it to help the animal league.
Jennifer says
Ikea me!!!!
I would spend a year setting up and providing a vocational and job placement services for individuals who are unemployed. As part of my service I would include free basic computer classes for senior citizens.
Leah says
IKEA ME!
My husband and I are going to do Habitat for Humanity in spring. I also like the idea of being a dog walker at the local humane society! In the mean time, during the nasty weather, we’re helping out at the food bank to put together Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets! I lurve volunteering! Makes me feel so good about myself!
karissa says
ikea me!
i’d love to spend a year doing something similar to storycorps, helping to have people’s stories be heard and ensuring the lives of the future get to be impacted by having these previous voices be archived, so that the person telling them can continue to do so, forever!
Christine W says
IKEA ME!
A year off huh. Not sure what I would do but I would love to find something local.
Gina says
IKEA me, please! I would volunteer for Room to Read…what an amazing experience that would be!
Breck says
Ikea Me! I would take a year to develop age appropriate books on Cystic Fibrosis for children born with the disease. There are few resources for children, like my son, who suffer from the life-threatening disease.
Heather McWhirter says
Ikea Me! I would help the animal shelters
Casie says
IKEA ME!
I’d volunteer at my local Pregnancy Resource Center!
Karen says
IKEA Me!
I’d split the money between the Humane Society (I’m an animal lover) and a local medical clinic for low-income families (I’m also a med student).
Sean says
IKEA me!
I would spend a year providing free legal services to those in need.
ASHLEY S says
IKEA ME!
I would work with special needs children and animals. It’s amazing how animals “speak” to everyone. They bring everyone together.
Deborah Hinkel says
IKEA me! I would volunteer where it was needed the most at that particular time.
Kate says
IKEA ME!
I think if I had a year off, I’d start locally helping children and homeless families. There are so many people right under our noses who need help and aren’t getting it. I’m not sure what exactly I’d do, but I’d try to set it up to keep on going after my year was over.
Michelle says
IKEA ME!!!!!!!!!
I am in my last year of nursing school and if I could spend one year volunteering, it would definitely be something relating to the healthcare system. Something along the lines of bringing much needed healthcare to children and adults who cannot afford or may not have the means to access healthcare would be fantastic! Not only would volunteering help hone my nursing skills, it would also help those who need it most.
Lyndsey says
Ikea me!
Carrie Nenonen says
IKEA Me!
I wish I had more time to volunteer/give to awareness of pulmonary fibrosis. I just lost my dad in May. We were all shocked to find out that a disease we had never even heard of before… takes as many people as breast cancer a year?!
Grace says
IKEA me!
I would spend the year working with underprivileged kids. My life is dramatically better because kind people took time out of their busy schedules to spend with me and I’d like to give back.
rachel says
IKEA ME
wow!!! this is amazing what how awesome of ikea!
if i could take a year to help others i would love to work with children possibly after school or volunteer at an orphange. love the kiddos! :)
Jenny says
IKEA Me! I would start a community literacy program for various age groups: early childhood, after school, adolescent, and adult.
Crystal G. says
IKEA me! If had a year to volunteer, I’d start a free daycare for single moms to help them get back on their feet!
carak says
IKEA ME!
I would spend time volunteering at a dog shelter. So many sweet homeless pups out that could some little extra loving.
Paola says
Ikea me!
I would help families in poverty.