*** 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.
Taryn says
IKEA me!
Amanda LeJeune says
Ikea Me! Oh man…I’d probably spend it in a South American country with my husband learning Spanish, and helping local missionaries reach out the their communities.
Latty B says
IKEA me!! I would love to bring natural childbirth to young moms who may not have all of the resources that older women have. I just had my first son (a couple of weeks before your Clara was born!), and I’ve decided to reach out and combat the rising cesarian rates in our country through education.
Stephanie says
IKEA me!
Kristen V says
Ikea me! I’d love to spend year teaching ESL to underprivileged kids.
Ashlea Heier-Derry says
IKEA ME!!!!! (I have been drooling over a shelf I need!)
Anyway- for me, to take a year off and 100,000 I would def go to Hispanola. Right now there is a Cholera outbreak in Haiti and the government in the Dominican Republic just closed all of the borders. They are each others biggest source of trading and I know missionaries in the Dominican trying to provide relief and the Gospel to those in Haiti ever since the earthquake his Port au Prince. My husband and I sponser a little girl in the DR too and I would love to be able to provide more for her and her family and to work side by side with the amazing people at GO Ministries.
Sorry about the novel!
Julia H says
“IKEA ME! I’ve never been to Ikea and would love to finally “experience it”. I’m not sure what I’d do with a whole year off to give back. I’m a nurse so I’d probably go abroad and help others have happy/healthy lives.
Sean says
IKea Me..
I would love to start an after school program in my area for at-risk kids. It would have been great for me when I was young.
Meg says
Ikea me!
I would develop a comprehensive sexuality program (I am a health educator) for school age kids in Boys & Girls clubs across California.
audrey says
Ikea me!
If i had a year off I would help teach art to either elementary kids or highschool.
Leslie says
IKEA ME!
I would open an orphanage.
Min Kyung says
“IKEA Me!”
If I were to help out, I would love to help children in need.
Laura says
IKEA me! I’d spend a year setting up after school programs for kids in my city. I’m a volunteer Girl Scout leader, and I’ve seen the difference it makes to give kids a safe place to go after school- I’d love to expand that!!
Caitlyn Cox says
IKEA me! :)
Kate (and Ben) says
“IKEA Me!”
I would want to work with LGBT organization that helps teens, like LAMBDA or The Trevor Project.
-Kate
Jenna says
IKEA ME!!
I would spend a year working with foster children. I had a wonderful family growing up and I would like to pass on the love and lessons I learned to kids who weren’t fortunate enough to have a stable home life.
Elaine says
IKEA me!
If I were to spend a year volunteering, I’d help develop the “It Gets Better” campaign with after school programs, rallies, and information sessions :)
Sasa says
Ikea Me!! I would finish what my parents started, and join them on their medical mission in Haiti!
Mary Sterck says
IKEA ME!! I would like to start a meals on wheels for anyone that needs to have a meal delivered to them. Can’t stand to see shut-ins hungry, or children. Another would be to provide a fund where people who can’t afford high vet. bills to get money to help pay the bills so that they don’t have to make a choice to euthanize because they don’t have the money.
Patricia says
I will go out of the USA on a mission for a year to help children in need.
PS: I love Ikea, who doesn’t!!!
Andrea says
IKEA ME!…..(please)
Well, as stay-at-home mom to five kiddos, a year off isn’t really feasible, is it? However, if money and time were not factors I would either work with teen moms, who so often don’t get the support they need to be better moms themselves. Or, even closer to home, oversee the beginnings of a rec center in our small, rural town. The tweens and teens have NOTHING in this town to do, and so many have no one at home during the afternoons or evenings either. This is a big need in our community.
Julie Leclercq says
IKEA me! I would do something for children. Maybe CASA or Make a Wish or Pediatric Cancer.
annie t says
IKEA ME! I’d develop a theatre program for at-risk teens. Thx!
Julie J says
Ikea me.
I would take a year to work for the cause of orphans. Informing people about the process of adoption and encouraging people to step out in faith in the God who loves orphans and has a place for each one of them,
Sarah says
IKEA me!
I would help bring arts and crafts to kids. Especially in areas where schools are having to cut out the arts because of funding.
Charmaine says
Ikea Me!
If I could spend a whole year helping others, I would go to third world countries and help give them access to clean drinking water.
Alison says
IKEA Me!
I would do something related to schools, kids, and eating, but my tired brain can’t pull together more than that right now :)
stephanie says
IKEA me!
I was so excited to hear about their Life Improvement Project. I think I would help expand the programs of a local creative reuse center — help them reach out to more young people!
Amanda says
IKEA ME! if I could take a year off, my family and I would travel with some close friends of ours working with organizations for medical missions to give basic health care to the under privileged in different countries.
Elizabeth says
IKEA me! I would like to work with a group that helps high school students learn about personal finance, and also entrepreneurship for any who would be interested. It would be cool to combine this with some economics, project planning, business planning, etc. while having the students do some sort of tangible project such as making and selling crafts.
Crystal says
IKEA ME!!!! I would spend the year doing something to help support children and families facing cancer.
Becky says
Ikea Me!
I think I would use the money and my time to help our local food pantry- they are in great need and work for a great cause.
Katie says
IKEA ME!!!
This is one great prize, YHL.
Alex says
Ikea me!
I would spend the time helping homeowners rehabilitate homes in low income areas of my city.
LesleyP says
IKEA Me!!
If I could spend a year reaching out to help others, I would work with the local NICUs (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and the March of Dimes to help other parents through the scary NICU experience. Having negotiated it twice with 2 sets of twins, I think I have something to offer.
Katie N. says
IKEA Me! I would spend the time volunteering for DR.’s without borders or a similar organization doing medical procedures in third world countries. A great way to use my love of medicine and be humbled by less fortunate areas.
Lexie says
IKEA ME!! I would love to spend a year working to rehabilitate abused animals so that they could go on to live happy lives with families who might not necessarily have the time to work through an animal’s trust issues, but would love to open their home to another pet.
Claire says
IKEA Me!
I would spend a year educating women in impoverished areas about womens’ health issues.
cetoya says
IKEA ME!!!!!, I am going to volunteer at a homeless shelter, or a animal shelter.
Katherine says
IKEA Me! I need some furniture in my bedroom. All that’s in there now is a bed, and my closet is stuffed with clothes and other junk that needs a home.
Oh, and I would either open an animal shelter (no-kill obviously, with all the amenities for the puppies & kitties!) or start some sort of program for underprivileged young women to provide them with stylish work/school-appropriate wardrobes and possibly some mentoring along the way.
E says
IKEA ME!
I would travel to Vietnam where my little cousin was adopted from, and work in orphanages. I WILL do this some day. And eventually, I will open my own non-profit agency for homeless families. :)
Katie says
IKEA me!
I’d love to get involved in building bridge relationships between churches in the city of Cleveland, OH and its outlying suburbs. There is a huge disparity of income in Cleveland’s neighborhoods– sometimes I can’t believe how a neighborhood changes within a five minute drive. Like many cities, there is racial tension and a history of brokenness because of past and current wrongs. I don’t have the answers to these problems, but I’d like to start working towards solutions. And I think directing suburban resources towards the needs of the city is a way to start.
Another thing I’d like to do is work to get more Americans involved in addressing the growing problem of urban poverty. Urban slums are swelling and so many of the people who live in slums internationally lack a voice in their local government.
Erin says
Ikea me! Pretty please?
If I had a year, I would love to lend a hand building homes for people in my community with Habitat for Humanity.
Sara R says
IKEA ME!!!! I would spend the time and money on woman and childrens refuge centres. Its something I have wanted to do since a young age and is close to my heart.
Annette Kahn says
IKEA ME!
Shanna says
Ikea me!!!!!!
If I had a year to volunteer I would tutor at risk kids in english and work with habitat for humanity.
Bonnie says
IKEA Me! My dream in life is to work in Animal Assisted Therapy. Hopefully I’ll make it a dream come true!
Cat Davis says
IKEA Me!
I’m a recent transplant to D.C. and the one thing that has hit me most is how much the beauty and the civility of this city is juxtaposed by the overwhelming homeless population. I’ve never encountered a place where so much is had by so few and so little is had by so many. I would love to spend a year trying to raise awareness and try to correct this injustice.
Carrie Waller says
IKEA ME!!
jenn says
ikea me please! i would volunteer to help build houses, like with habitat for humanity, or help down in new orleans where people still need help rebuilding.