*** 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.
Christina Snyder says
IKEA ME! I would buy a farm house with lots of land and have a home for senior hound dogs to live out the rest of their years happily.
jo says
ikea me!
Dally says
IKEA ME please :) I’d travel to Kenya to take pictures for my favorite children’s orphanage Amanzia. I’d also do a Foster Child photo project here in Texas. :)
Allison M. says
IKEA Me!
I would go down to central america and help veterinarians spay & neuter dogs & cats. There is a huge over population of animals down south!
Sadie says
Ikea Me!! I’m currently a doctoral student in epidemiology and my research deals with the mental health of post-partum women. If I had a year of service to give, I would take what I’ve learned so far — and my family — to the women of Africa’s fistula clinics.
connie tacazon says
Ikea me please!
I would plan many events, field trips, extra projects for my kids elementary school for GATE (gifted and talented education). I spent the 4-7th grade in GATE myself and my experience and learning has stayed with me to this day almost 30 years later. It opened my eyes and my world to much more than my present surroundings and circumstances, that says lots coming from immigrant parents who didn’t speak english.
Christian says
IKEA ME! If I had a year to spend helping others, I would like to work in an after school program helping kids with reading and writing
Kimie Weldon says
Ikea me, Ikea me, Ikea me… again… I say, please Ikea me! :)
Nicole H says
IKEA Me…please as we are moving to Spain and outfitting our apartment with everything IKEA.
Nicole says
IKEA ME!!
I would volunteer at my local food bank, spend time teaching low-income pre-school age children so they can start school with some of the academic advantages more affluent kids have, and also teaching their moms how to interact with their children (babies through pre-school age) to help foster a love of learning.
Jamie Lee says
IKEA ME!!
Laura Nygaard says
IKEA Me! I love Ikea! Love what you two have done with it as well.
If I could spend one year helping others, I would help those in need in my community. You know it is so easy to give and it is so rewarding to both parties! There is need in every community across the US, it is just not noticed!
Ray says
IKEA Me!
Michelle says
Ikea Me!!
I would spend a year volunteering at my children’s school!
Lauren says
IKEA ME!
If I could spend one year helping others, I would work in a Children’s Hospital or with Alex’s Lemonade Stand or St Baldricks to help improve the lives of childhood cancer patients.
Heidi says
IKEA ME
Christine says
IKEA ME!
Ella S says
IKEA Me!
I would spend my year’s income to develop an educational non-profit that would work to integrate the arts–literary arts, performing arts, and visual arts–into classrooms in every grade level. Learning to participate, appreciate, and understand creative work develops critical skills and has been shown to improve test scores, attendance rates, and enthusiasm in students of every age. Arts are being cut too quickly in an effort to balance the budget; the ones who loose are the kids!
Jeffrey says
IKEA ME!
Carol says
IKEA ME !!
I want to spend a year saving unwanted cats and kittens.
Amber says
Ikea Me! If I had one year to start a non-profit, I know exactly what I’d do. My husband and I are hobby photographers and for almost a year now have been dreaming about starting a non-profit in the city teaching photography skills to disadvantaged and at-risk youth. We would use the program to teach them photography skills, as well as mentor them.
Jennifer says
IKEA Me!
I’d love to work with my dog! Bella is a four year old, 80 pound yellow lab who loves children. She’s a certified therapy dog, but we haven’t been on many visits since I have a three year old who I “work for” :) It would be nice to have the ability to make regular volunteer visits, my job.
Stephanie says
IKEA ME!!! I would have to think about it in a little more detail, but I would want to help orphaned/abandoned children as much as possible! I have always wanted to adopt and hope to one day! I have two small children now and I look at their little faces when they laugh, cry… I give of myself everyday to make sure they are safe, loved, and protected! It breaks my heart to know that so many children in each of our communities don’t know that love and don’t feel safe or protected. I want to give children opportunity to be a part of a true family or at least to be mentored by positive role models who will love and support them.
Kate says
IKEA ME! I’d spend the year taking mission trips helping disadvantaged children!
Christina says
IKEA Me!
If I had time I would spend more of it volunteering at the library that my husband runs. He works in a small, rural town and the library is one of the few places out there for kids. He does a great job of making it a welcoming and fun place to be, and does a lot of extras for those kids and for everyone in the community. I’ve gone out a few times to help do crafts but I’d like to get more involved. And I plan to once all of our kids are in school full time.
Sandra says
Ikea me!
I would teach art at one of the many schools that cannot afford it (which is most of them).
That being said, it’s important to remember that even though we might not have a year to dedicate to volunteering, chances are that we have a couple hours a week, or one weekend a month to help out. There are many organizations that will happily take whatever help you can give.
Erin says
IKEA ME!!!! If I could take a year off I would like to use my knowledge to help provide safe drinking water to people around the world.
Lindsay Pruitt says
IKEA ME!!!
Shannon Rosan says
IKEA ME!
If I had one year to dedicate myself to the lives of others, I would love to teach photography as art therapy to underprivileged children.
Brigham says
IKEA me! I’d use the $100,000 to start a group home for teenage orphans in Romania to provide them with education and technical/trade skills.
Maggie says
IKEA ME!!! Please!!!
Deidre says
Ikea me! Oh wow, with a year off to volunteer, I’d try to do something different every day. I’d volunteer with all the non-profits that would have me and catalog it on a blog! I think that would be so fun. My pet non-profit though is 826 national because they have the most fun writing programs for kids. Example: A group of volunteers dressed as tourists burst into a 2nd grade classroom and say “We’re lost! We’ve never been to Chicago before! Can you tell us all the best places to go?” And the kids make a book citing all the best Chicago hot spots. My favorite was a kid who said the best pizza in Chicago was his grandma’s!
Best of luck to everyone who enters!!
Carrie Hampton says
IKEA ME please!!!
I think I would start a food pantry program – including hot meal service for those families that are having difficulties in these trying times. I believe there are families in the surrounding suburbs that could use a helping hand and aren’t comfortable going to inner-city or state programs for assistance. A suburban non-profit assistance program might make those first steps more comfortable.
Tim says
IKEA ME!!
lucy says
IKEA ME!
I would help support legal fees for gay rights.
Maggie says
IKEA ME! Pretty please!
holly says
Please Ikea me!
If I could win, I would design a space in my hometown in downtown Worcester that would provide free breastfeeding support services to low income families.
Alana says
IKEA Me!
I’d want to spend the time teaching.
Natasha says
Ikea Me!
Wow, this would come in handy! We are planning to move and already planning a trip to Ikea to furnish our new place. :)
now, if I could take a year off to help the world? I think I would focus on setting up sustainable food systems. I honestly believe that access to safe,healthy food is a root solution to so many of our problems, be they health, crime, stress, almost anything can be traced back to access, or lack of access, to food. So that is something close to my heart that I would want to help with.
Avital says
IKEA ME!
I would love to help adults learn to read. I think it is heartbreaking how many illiterate adults there are in this country. Receiving sufficient education in order to be able to read it a right that every American should be entitled to.
CA Colleen says
IKEA me!!
Wilma Fulgueras says
“Ikea Me!”
If I had a year to solely dedicate on helping others, I would educate teens about being sexually responsible and how being active can change their lives forever…(HIV, pregnancy).
J. Powers says
IKEA me!!
If I were given a one year sabbatical to help others, I would volunteer to help women who are new to the workforce, re-entering the workforce, or seeking employment after losing a job…help them regain their confidence, prepare for the interview process, match their skillset and career goals to their job search, etc.
Kenna says
IKEA me!
kate blue says
“IKEA Me!
One year…it would be well spent right in my community, doing whatever had to be done at our local food pantry. Our city has a new section and an older historic section and in the older part, sometime the folks out there get neglected. It’s open only 3-4 times a month due to lack of manpower, so some of my time would be spent trying to figure out a way to change that! Our food panty is in desperate need of a makeover to house more clothes and def more food staples and as a great organizer, I think I’d be up to the challenge.
Hyeson says
IKEA me!
If I could spend a year and IKEA’s money to improve the world, I would focus on sustainability within local communities. Obviously, the needs in my suburban community is differently from that of a community in a third-world country, but there are definitely common themes and actions that can be taken to ensure we all leave the world in a better shape for our posterity.
Carol says
Ikea Me!
If i could leave home, I would go on a mission trip with the YWAM organization and take my husband and kids with me. They serve all over the world changing lives and serving others.
If I had to stay here, I would volunteer for the Call and Response organization that fights human trafficking by bringing awareness and partnering with other rescue organizations.
Marta says
IKEA Me!
If I could do anything to help others, I think joining the Peace Corps with my husband would be interesting and eye-opening. And since I’m adopted from Guatemala, I’d try to convince them to send us there. ;)
Anissa says
IKEA Me!
Ebba Delarosa says
IKEA Me! If I could spend a year volunteering, I would do more of what I’m doing already and that’s helping my kids’ public school. We’re in California, hard hit by budget cuts and large class sizes, and we rank low in public education. So I would volunteer in more classrooms, in the library, and with the PTA to strengthen our schools.