*** 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.
Emily Shoup says
IKEA me!!!
Great bonus question! If I could spend one year helping others, I would first help my husband start the non-profit that he is dreaming to start. Then we would use it to help people with daunting hospital bills, mortgage payments, and many other dire financial needs that people in the community have.
Lori says
Ikea Me!
I would love to start a music program for those kids in schools that have not been able to keep a music program going because of low funding.
Abbey Baker says
IKEA Me! :)
Christie says
IKEA ME!!!
I would love to start a community run farm where kids could learn to raise and grow plants and animals in a heathy, sustainable environment.
Jayna says
Ikea Me
I would help Chain of Hope, a local organization that takes rescuing dogs in need a step further. They hit the streets to help the dogs that aren’t fortunate enough to have regular proper care from their owners!
Chad Jacobs says
Ikea Me!
I created my whole kitchen from IKEA. I love the store and the catalog. If I could spend a year helping others, I would travel the inner cities teaching of America teaching people how to cook and how to eat properly. I would love to share my knowledge with those in need.
Jenny says
IKEA ME!
If I had a year to spare, I would open up a bakery/cafe for people with disabilities to work at. My heart and my life goes to these people now, I would love to have a opportunity for them to have meaningful and paid employment.
Vanessa says
IKEA ME!!
I would volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. Love their program! :)
Meg says
Ikea Me!!
Stephanie Pitzer says
IKEA ME!!! If I oould take a year off, I’d do two things: work with the local animal shelter and work with women who “fall through the cracks” in our society, they don’t qualify for any social services and are struggling. They need support!
Emily says
IKEA ME!! :)
I would love to spend a year teaching inner-city kids the importance of water safety, and how to stay safe around lakes, rivers and streams. Nine people drown everyday becuase they don’t know how to swim, and in ethnically-diverse communities, the youth drowning rate is 2-3 times higher than the national average. This is something I think could easily be prevented!!
Lindsey says
IKEA me!! :o)
I would love to spend a year at the Agape home in Thailand working with children diagnosed with HIV.
Nicole Forson-Walters says
IKEA ME!
I would take the year to mentor minority first year college students and give them the laundry, hot meals, and academic support that they so rarely receive (and ask for)!
Randie says
IKEA me!!
I would spent a year working with abused and abandoned animals.
Megan Eagleson says
IKEA ME!
Angie says
Ikea Me
I would start a program to help underprivelged children have the more resources at their schools. Also, would love to educate parents on what kids really need…and that is their parents love and attention.
Valerie says
IKEA ME!! I would work with the low income/poverty families locally in helping them access food, clothing, housing employment, education, and other general support services.
Kaitlyn says
Ikea me!
I would volunteer my year working with underprivileged children in an urban area. I’m incredibly passionate about education and human rights, and love to share this with young people!
linda says
IKEA ME!
I’d want to work with dogs and cats.
Lin says
IKEA ME!
If I could take a year off to volunteer, it would be to work at our local food bank. As a single parent who has struggled to make ends meet, I know how hard it can be to provide for my family. I wish no one ever had to worry about where their next meal is coming from.
Meghan says
Ikea me!
I would spend a year helping wounded soldiers and their families as well as children whose parent has died in combat…
Danielle says
Ikea me!
I would love to help out animals.
Every time one of those commercials comes on with the
sarah mclachlan song, and now woody nelson song i cry.:(
Audra says
Ikea Me!
I would love to devote time to teaching in a school in a third world country.
jim says
“IKEA Me!” for today is my birthday!!
Jasmine says
OMG How did I almost miss this post?!
“IKEA Me!” I would probably spend my year volunteering in different places. (Helping build or re-build some houses would be cool)
TThat Life Improvement Project sounds cool, going there now to check it out.
~Jazz
Keisha Francis says
IKEA ME!!!!
Jeremy says
IKEA me!
I would volunteer at a troubled boys’ home for a year.
Meredith says
IKEA ME!!
I would love to rescue horses!!
Natalie says
Ikea me!
I would volunteer to work with abused children for a year. Give them hope of a better life.
Therese says
IKEA Me!
I would spend the year volunteering at a pediatric hospital.
Jessie Thompson says
IKEA ME!!!
If I had a year off I would travel to Africa and teach children there to speak English or just pitch in a helping hand to those in need.
Amy says
“IKEA Me!”
If I had a year free, I would spend my time in local elementary and middle schools helping to update and revitalize the school lunch programs.
megan marie says
IKEA ME!!!
I would spend a year traveling to preschools in urban areas and teaching children about growing their own foods, the importance of vegetables, and veganism!
yvonne says
IKEA ME!
I would work with a local charity called C.A.R.R.Y. for at risk young people/foster kids.
Beylah says
IKEA ME! I would spend a year promoting health educating in Africa or other developing countries.
Katie @ makingthishome says
IKEA Me
Julianna says
IKEA ME!!
I would help schools that are in need, children are our future!
Mana says
IKEA ME!!!
If I had a year off, I would volunteer with kids and families whose parents have cancer and try to help them get through the difficult time.
Elizabeth Eichhorn says
IKEA Me! If I had a year off, I would start a non-profit here in my city that would provide resources and support to pregnant teens in inner-city areas. Each teen would be matched with a mentor to encourage the importance of prenatal care and staying in school. All services of the non-profit would be available to the teen through the first year of the child’s life. If she chose to continue on to college, the mentorship, in some capacity, would continue through until graduation. I would work to find grants and permanent community partnerships so that the non-profit would be largely self-sustaining when my year is up.
Mary Kay says
IKEA ME!
I would be a travel nurse!
Karen says
Ikea me
Kevin says
IKEA ME
If I had a year off, I would work at a soup kitchen.
Julia says
IKEA ME
If I had a year off I would volunteer in a third world country.
Mandi says
IKEA ME!
If I had a year off to help people I would dedicate myself to some sort of missionary work, possibly in China.
Stephanie L says
“IKEA ME” would love to visit those stores and spend a whole day there… my husband wouldnt he just comes to drive the trailer home!!!
mominco says
IKEA ME!!!
if I could spend an entire year volunteering it would be with Make a wish foundation.just seeing the children’s faces light up when their wish comes true… will be a dream come true for me.I saw that with my son and how happy Make a wish made him during his sickness.Thank you for doing this.
PaulaR says
IKEA ME!!!
I love this little shop… The inspiration is phenomenal!
If I could take that year off, I would make the small foodbank that my church runs, expand it to use all the space – a playgroup for toddlers during the day, clothing dropoff/pickup. My mind is just reeling as to what we could do!
Stephani says
IKEA ME!
If I could take a year off, I would want to go work in a foreign country working with compassion international to help children in need. :)
Jessica DeMaio says
Ikea ME!!!
I would work to find homes for abused and neglected animals.
Or help rebuild homes in places that have been devastated by natural disasters.
Elizabeth Schultz says
IKEA me please, pretty please! I think if I had a year off to focus on philanthropic work, it would have to be starting or helping an animal rescue, primarily focused on cats. My other option would be to focus on a program to help our education system, most specifically music and art. These subjects are suffering and they must not be removed from our educational system. Music and art are a vital and integral part of childhood development and it would be a crime to see them disappear because of a lack of funding.