*** 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.
Dominique G. says
IKEA ME
I would definitely work for animals. Have always wanted to be part of an animal rehabilitation farm or something.
Erika says
IKEA ME!!!
I would set up/fund some activity programs for our youth – help keep them interested in participating in much needed sports – I would be sure it would be for all ages and all talents and to keep them healthy by being active! So important right now……
Teresa T. says
“Ikea ME!” My husband and I would work with youth either through our church or another organization to teach life skills. Many youth are not taught how to develop social skills, how to care for their money, how to save and the difference between a need and a want, how to cook, clean their clothes or purchase healthy food on a budget.
Our other passion would be to continue to help foster older dogs that have lost their owners to death, going into the healthcare system or are not financially capable to care for their pets.
christine says
IKEA ME!
I would def spend my time overseas with my work help patients in need. I would love to help children and adults w/ burns in under developed countries!
Kathleen Davies says
IKEA Me!
Jay says
IKEA ME!!!!!!!!!!! Please.
Technically I’m already spending my year working for a non profit youth center but other than that…I would foster/rescue dogs if I had the space.
Steph says
IKEA me! I’d teach English to young nuns in a remote village in Nepal.
Amanda says
IKEA ME! Prenatal care for women in 3rd world countries.
katie says
IKEA ME! :)
If I could spend a year helping others, I would want to work on improving mother-baby programs, i.e. community support for public breastfeeding, providing access to adequate (and early) pre-natal care, etc.
kena says
Ikea Me…..Wow, look at all of the readers you have.
I would like to help in any way I can with women and children’s shelter. In fact, I went through my closed this past weekend and found a shelter that will pick up donations(clothes/bed frame/bedding)
Kena
Emily says
IKEA ME!!
I actually spent the last year with my husband volunteering in Ecuador. I was working with the Centro de Proteccion de Derechos (much like child protection services in the U.S.) as well as working in an orphanage and with children at various community centers. My husband was teaching computer classes to at risk youth, working with community banks, and managing summer camp for the city. Amazing experience.
If I had another year to do volunteer work, I would love to work with the National Park Service, maybe doing outreach/education to at-risk youth who could benefit by seeing some of the natural beauty around the country and gain skills/experiences! Maybe photography hikes and camping around Yosemite!
Rebecca says
IKEA Me!
I would spend the year/money making good mental health care accessible to people who couldn’t otherwise afford it.
Sarah says
Ikea ME!
I would donate my time and resources to mom’s fighting breast cancer. Helping them and their family with the daily things like getting kids to games, cleaning, shopping or cooking meals.
JoelandDeborah says
Please IKEA me! I have always had a dream to open an after school tutoring program to help small children succeed early in reading and writing.
Jen says
IKEA me! There are so many volunteer opportunities around me — I’m not sure what I’d do for a year.
dana eighmie says
ikea me!
i would love to take a year off and work at a battered womens shelter!
Nicole says
IKEA ME!
I would focus on helping veterans that are suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). My husband has both from being in the invasion in Iraq in 2003 and then his second tour in 2005. I’ve been there as he has been going through recovery and there are so many people that are in need of help and need support! Our veterans write us a blank check when the serve, the least we can do is help them when they returned wounded.
Barbara says
IKEA me…please, please, please! And if I could take off a year I would spend it helping the elderly. They are such a forgotten piece of our society.
Brooke says
IKEA me!
I would go serve as a missionary overseas!
Aileen says
Ikea Me! I would volunteer as an advocate for people in nursing homes without family. Help them keep their doctors in check and on their toes.
Lindsay says
Ikea Me! I’d spend the year with some friends that are missionaries overseas, helping them out.
Kara says
IKEA me!!!!
Laura says
Ikea me!
I would spend the year teaching people how to cook easy, healthy meals. I think teaching people how to eat healthy while doing so quickly and inexpensively would be a great gift to others! (and then of course feeding said people all the food we cook!)
Kathleen says
IKEA ME!!! I would love to use my time to improve the lives of those who suffer from MS, as well as the elderly. To echo your Janice from above, the elderly are too often a forgotten resource of wisdom and love.
Jim says
Ikea me. I would work and use the money to coordinate families who want to adopt in the USA with orphans in Haiti.
Lorie Chen says
IKEA ME!! :-) I would spend the year traveling around with my two pups & ferret, Dooney, Noodle & Bandit, promoting the humane treatment of animals, and raising awareness about the pet overpopulation/animal shelters etc.
Sarah says
IKEA Me!
I would volunteer full-time at the World Vision office near me.
stella g. says
IKEA ME!!!
Next spring we’re moving and will FINALLY live near an Ikea!
I don’t know exactly what my year sabbatical would look like, but it would involve orphanages in Africa and doing what I could to improve the lives of those kiddos.
John Young says
Ikea Me! I would help place pets without homes at the local animal shelters.
Mairead Shutt says
Ikea me! I would work in an orphanage in Haiti.
Sarah D says
IKEA Me!
Stephanie says
IKEA Me!
I would love to work with and guide under-privileged young adults who don’t think they can achieve higher education seek out the resources and scholarships they need to be able to attend and graduate from college.
Cara Dau says
Ikea Me Please
If I had a year off I would spend it traveling and doing world missions to help underprivileged families in anyway possible.
kristi bishop says
ikea me!
i would help feed those without food.
Coffee says
Ikea Me, i would open an IT afterschool program focusing on girls.
Cecelia says
Ikea me!
I’d start a program that fixed up donated cars for single mothers in need of transportation.
jamie says
“IKEA Me!” I would help teen mothers. Mentoring and teaching them how to budget.
Angela says
IKEA ME
I would educate parents on how to set up a successful home experience for their children diagnosed with autism.
Katrina says
IKEA Me!
I have a whole non-profit plan written out that I started developing when I was 16. My vision is to run a residental(boarding) school for teenagers struggling with addictions, behavior problems, or that have just been delt a bad hand in life and need to start fresh. An alternative solution to corrections, which have failed our kids for too long now. Main foucs self-education,empowerment,and relationship building the only true way to bring about change.
Rachel says
IKEA me! I would probably use the time to work in an orphanage in Haiti.
Carolyn says
IKEA ME!
Since their project is within the 48 states…I’d do a combination of using my development/fundraising skills to help a couple worthwhile orgs (tbd) work on their development strategies to better support their causes long-term. I’d also devote a good chunk of time to being a volunteer catechist at a local Catholic parish, be one of the lead organizers the local 40 Days for Life campaign, and work with an org to assist the elderly and infirm with tasks of daily living and just good old fashioned comaraderie.
Jeanie says
IKEA ME!
If I had a year & $100,000 I would focus on getting water purification to Haiti.
Amanda says
Ikea ME! I would volunteer at an adoption agency and use the money to improve the adoption agency to provide better care for the kids.
Andrea says
IKEA ME!
I’d hit the road to help kids with hearing loss…I am fortunate enough to do this every day as my job :) but with a whole year off I could travel to reach the kiddos who are without hearing health care services. It is so awesome to see a child light up when they discover their world through sound!
Andrea | HomageStyle.com says
IKEA ME!
If I had a year to spend freely, I would love to help needy folks fix up their homes. The basics, plus a little bit of practical decor.
Nothing as intense as extreme home makeover…just fixing what’s broken & helping them to beautify their spaces.
Kate says
IKEA ME!!! Yes, please! I’ll take a year and get paid to help young single moms (especially teenage mothers. Since having my daughter, my heart goes out to all the young single mothers out there–I don’t know how they do it alone!
Jennifer says
IKEA Me
I would help save stray animals and animals at high kill shelters find loving homes so that no animal would ever have to suffer. I live in the south and there are so many stray dogs down here it’s unbelievable.
JeriP says
IKEA ME
We are going next month to Ecuador for 18 months to work with a program helping young adults determine a plan to prepare for a good job, gain the education that they will need and encourage them while they complete this process. They will become prepared to build strong families and contribute to improving their communities.
Luz Wasgat says
IKEA me! I would love to work with teen moms that are struggling to get their lives back on track.
Meredith says
IKEA ME!
I’d spend the year volunteering holding sick babies in the NICU. It would be as good for me as it would be for them:)