*** 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.
Nicole says
IKEA Me!
I’d love to volunteer at a local animal shelter, training unadoptable animals to become well-behaved, loving family pets.
kendra says
IKEA me!
jody says
IKEA ME!
Oh, we all love Ikea!!
One year to help in any way…I would work w kids w special needs or kids wo parents. Such a need.
One thought, what if everyone who responded to this entry actually DID what they said they would like to do – what a wonderful world it would really be.
Viv says
IKEA Me!
Melissa says
IKEA Me!
If I could spend one year helping others I would spend time mentoring children in afterschool programs.
Katie says
IKEA ME!
If I had one year to help others I would do so by educating and persuading others to GIVE BLOOD! Blood is badly needed and so many people don’t understand how simple and painless it is!
Kari says
IKEA Me!
If I had a year to spend volunteering I would want to work with Habitat for Humanity helping to build homes all around the country!
Whitney McKevitt says
Ikea me!
I would volunteer at my church and local school- they both have so many ways to get involved in my community!
Alexis says
IKEA Me!
I’d love to volunteer at a Children’s Hospital. And I’m an attorney so I’d love to be able to donate my time to those who cannot afford representation.
Samantha says
IKEA Me!
I would spend a year helping with a food bank. There are so many families struggling with hunger in today’s economic climate and every little bit helps!
meredith says
IKEA ME!
i would deliver cloth diapers to orphanages in 3rd world countries.
Kim says
IKEA ME
I would probably spend the year helping at a large variety of charities….to learn about the different charities and to meet different people!
Kim says
IKEA ME!
I think I’d want to try a range of things – in a homeless shelter, helping low-income kids at school, working with teen pregnancies, habitat for humanity, etc.
Steph says
IKEA ME!
If I had a year to help others – I’d like to take the path I didn’t take when I was 22 – and join the Peace Corps. I always wonder what it would have been like to teach science and math in an impoverished community half-way around the world. Would I have changed any lives? How would this have changed me?
Erica says
IKEA ME!
I’m totally pregnant, so I would work with mommies in need on prenatal care and nutrition.
Kathryn says
IKEA me!
I would spend a year working with kids in after school programs or Boys and Girls clubs.
Kelly says
IKEA ME!!!…because I’ve got a huge shopping list saved on their website : ) I currently work in fundraising for a non-profit, so maybe I’d work as a fundraising consultant to help new non-profits put best practices into place. Hiring a consultant costs a LOT, so it’s fun to think of how many organizations I could help if money weren’t a barrier for them. I’d also be tempted to work for a big non-profit like Oxfam or SPLC doing whatever they wanted me to do!
Thanks Ikea and YHL!
Megan says
IKEA ME!
I just went there for THE FIRST TIME yesterday and i’m in love.
if i had a year to focus on one good thing, it’d be helping obese children get back on track. Help their families learn healthy ways to cook for themselves and for their children, so the statistic isn’t 1 in 4 people have diabetes (where I think it’s 1 in 10 now!).
Heather says
“IKEA Me!”
My passion lies in animal rescue! I think I would like to volunteer at a homeless shelter too, but animal rescue and fostering animals is something I would love to do, and I am passionate about!
Sabrina says
IKEA Me
Joanna says
IKEA Me!
I’d love to take a year off and work on a farm co-op. I would like to learn more about organic and local farming and really get my hands dirty for a year (and as a bonus, say bye-bye to my desk!)
Emily@Decorchick says
Ikea ME!!!
This is an easy question…I’d open up a church and help spread the Word of God. Leading someone to Christ is the best form of help I think. :)
Jennifer says
IKEA ME!!!!!!
I would volunteer at an afterschool program for children, and at a children’s hospital!
Kathryn says
IKEA ME!!
If I could spend a year helping others I would work with the youth in my small community – helping them realize their potential and helping provide a postive attitude towards furthering their education through college, trade schools, etc.
Katie says
IKEA ME! I would work on teaching urban kids to grow and obtain produce, and how to prepare and eat it.
Megan says
IKEA ME! I would work with children in need.
rachael says
IKEA Me!
I’d work with our local arts center improving their children’s classes & getting more shows up & running.
PJ says
IKEA ME!
Wow … I would divide my time between an organization I’m passionate about, Royal Family Kids Camp, that helps kids in the foster care system – and the other part volunteering with local animal shelters.
Heather C says
IKEA ME!
Hmm, that’s a great question. I think I’d like to help feeding the hungry type work in the US
nysoonergirl says
IKEA Me!
If I could spend a year helping others, I would probably want to split my time in thirds. I’d like to spend time helping out local animal shelters, doing anything I can to help our troops, and helping out the families of injured or deceased police officers. All three causes are close to my heart and I’m not sure I could choose just one.
Elizabeth C says
IKEA ME! Childhood obesity is a scary thing that’s getting more prevalent. I’d love to go into school and low income communities to teach about healthy eating and cheap container gardening! The horrible thing though is I’m making scratch cupcakes right now!
Jennie says
IKEA Me!!!!
I would love to spend a year helping children and women who have been subjected to domestic violence.
Ginny says
IKEA Me!
I’d probably do something for the American Cancer society. Fund raising, volunteering, etc.
Lyndsey says
IKEA ME!!!
If I could spend a year volunteering, I’d split my time among different organizations that were child-friendly. My kids could help me sort at a food pantry. They could accompany me on Meals on Wheels runs. They could help bake and deliver treats to senior citizen centers and visit with the residents.
Megan says
“IKEA me”…but no, for real… ; )
If I could spend a year away from my job helping others, I’d love to try starting an after-school program in my town…it’s a pretty little city and there isn’t much for the kiddos to do here (especially the older ones). That has led to a surprising increase and drug and alcohol use within our little community so if there was a way I could give them a place to come and gather and find creative ways to fill their time, I think it’d be a pretty awesome thing! Just a thought…for now… ;)
Sara B says
Ikea Me!
I don’t know what I’d do, but it would probably involve orphan care.
Katie says
IKEA Me!
Thanks Ikea and YHL! I would spend a year promoting literacy and helping underprivileged children in rural schools.
Lacey Q says
IKEA ME! It would tough to decide what I would want to do right now, but I think something to do with children in the US is where i would start.
lauren says
IKEA ME!
I would definitely spend a year helping rescue animals from abusive homes and off of the streets
Megan says
Ikea Me!! I would spend the year helping at our local school!
Jennifer B says
IKEA Me!
I would vouunteer to set up Montessori schools in areas of need! I have my Masters in Montessori and just love, love, love it!!! Seems like one fine example is Sherry!
Need the Ikea gift card for our nursery, just spent three hours there this weekend!
Jessica says
IKEA Me! I would love to spend a year organizing and streamlining teacher’s classrooms and file storing. I know many teachers who have been in the classroom for decades and are bogged down by mounds of paper and stuff that they don’t know how to organize effectively.
Margarite says
IKEA me!
I would create the most awesome after-school art program in the known universe.
Sarah P. says
IKEA ME! I would volunteer in some capacity in the foster care/adoption world. Now that I have a daughter of my own, my heart aches for all the kiddos out there who are just waiting to be loved and cared for.
Sarah Lynne says
IKEA Me! Thanks!
Amy says
IKEA ME!
Would LOVE to spend some time in Arizona with the Tahna-Otom (sp?) tribe, a mission field with communities equivalent to third-world countries. It’s amazing how parts of the USA are treated like second-class citizens.
Misty says
IKEA Me!
VT says
IKEA Me!
Jessica H. says
Ikea Me!
I would love to have a year off to dedicate to helping the many homeless/abandoned dogs in my community!
Casey says
IKEA ME!
I would definitely go to Mozambique and love on the many orphans there. There is a fabulous ministry that I would love to join up with and support.