*** 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.
Christine Gibb says
i would want to spend my time “life coaching”…helping people get back on their feet by teaching basic life skills…budgeting, interview skills, goal setting…
ashley says
IKEA ME!
i would totally help rescue animals. or kids, or any combination. heck, i would pick up trash for that kinda money!
JenWoodhouse.com says
IKEA ME!
Jessica says
IKEA ME!
I’d like to work with underprivileged kids.
Tra J. says
Ikea Me!
I’d love to take a year off to help renovate and remodel schools right here in the U.S. Too many of our schools are dilapidated and falling apart and research shows the clear effects of this on student learning.
Melissa says
IKEA ME!
I would love to start an outreach program to empower young girls to see themselves as capable, independent young women in the future, perhaps using a ‘big sister’ style mentoring program, along with a girl-scout-esque community aspect. It would be awesome of this sort of thing could cross socio-economic lines too.
Michelle S says
IKEA ME!
I would love to spend a year working with undereducated youth, teaching them English and other essential skills.
jillian says
IKEA ME!!!
I would spend the year in Haiti, trying to get everything taken care of there. The fact that the place in still in ruins and people are still dying is horrendous to me!
Sara R says
“IKEA Me!”
We rescued our pup from a pound rescue organization. We have since become involved in the organization, because we couldn’t resist all those puppy eyes!
Christine says
IKEA ME!
I would definitely spend the year volunteering as a Child Life Specialist for Operation Smile.
Amy says
Ikea Me!
I would love to spend a year with an after school program for at risk kids.
George B. says
IKEA Me!
Adam says
Ikea me!
Bria says
IKEA me!
Hm…I’d travel to third world countries to work in schools that educate young girls about woman leadership.
Ashley K. says
IKEA ME!
I would love to spend a year helping with international relief work through Samaritan’s Purse.
Kyla says
IKEA me!
Laura says
IKEA ME!
I don’t know how I would spend a year. That would be such a cool opportunity!
Janna says
Ikea me (please)!
Karen says
IKEA Me!
I’d spend a year volunteering in a NICU to provide comfort for babies whose parents can not be there due to work/money/geographical constraints, and support for the tireless nurses and doctors who work there.
Sarah R. says
IKEA ME!!!
If I took a year off to do service work, I would either rescue and place animals into good homes OR I would start some afterschool programs for kids and teens in my area. I already work at a non-profit, but funding is scarce and this is a real need. Lots of kids in gangs, on drugs, getting pregnant, etc., because there’s not much for them to do. I’d like to do something with kids to get them into doing service projects to help improve the community.
Carrie Pollock says
IKEA ME!
I would open my own school for at risk kids.
Michelle H. says
IKEA ME!
Michelle B. says
IKEA ME!
I would spend a year working with children at an orphanage.
Jerry says
IKEA ME!
kate burdick says
ikea me!!!
Stephanie says
IKEA ME!!!!
I would spend a year traveling the world working with a different charitable organization in whichever cities I stopped!
Chris S says
IKEA ME!!
Anna Taylor says
IKEA ME!!!
I think I would just keep hosting a mom’s stay at home group every week. It’s encouraging to be around other moms and it’s always something fun to look forward to. Plus I get a lot of moms from other countries and I know I can always help make their transition easier over here!
Amy says
IKEA ME!!!
I would spend a year working on working with adult English language learners whose primary language is Spanish. I was a Spanish minor in college and the best class I took included a community service component where I was able to do this in the city where I went to college!
Caitlin says
IKEA ME!!
I would work in an orphanage or some sort of organization for homeless children.
Allison says
Ikea Me – I already work full time for Share Our Strength, an organization who’s mission is ending childhood hunger – so I’d just keep up that great work! :)
Erin says
I’d work for Habitat for Humanity. I thought about Peace Corps when I was younger, but couldn’t bring myself to leave my cats with my parents all year!
April Van Brunt says
IKEA ME!
I would dive back into working on this project http://bing-bang-boom.com/, my sweet friend and I started it up and then started having babies at the same time. She popped hers out about a month ago and I’m still waiting on mine to make an appearance, 3 days late (who’s counting). We’d love to really pour our energy into this and change some lives!
melissa says
“IKEA ME”
Amanda says
Ikea Me!
I would love to volunteer time with the elderly.
Anje says
IKEA ME!
I would work at a reduced cost medical clinic in Peru…perumission.org (I’m an RN)
Stephanie says
Ikea Me! I’ve worked with a non profit called The Zambia Project, for years and would love the opportunity to spend the year working in Zambia and at home to better the schools that are supported by private subsidies only.
Joanna says
ikea me please! :)
christa says
IKEA me!
The first thing that came to my mind was take my family with me to Zambia, Africa to volunteer with an orphanage/school building project that our church has been helping out with for the past few years.
Sarah says
Ikea me! And I would love to spend a year volunteering at the MSPCA in Boston and at WBUR, our local NPR station.
Thania Cruz says
IKEA ME!!!!!!!!!!!
What a great giveaway! If I could take a year off I would have to volunteer for ADRA.
Christina says
IKEA Me!
I would spend the year helping the Girl Scouts make the world a better place by starting troops for girls in underserved areas.
Kacey at Shes.No.Martha says
Ikea ME!!
I would help women get back into the workforce after being laid off, taking time off with kids — whatever. I would help with their resumes, interviewed skills, and wardrobe.
Mary Ellen Stuber says
Ikea me!
Jenn M says
IKEA ME!
I would spend the year with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) working with abused and neglected children who have been removed from their homes.
Alycia says
IKEA ME!
I would spend a year working with foster children and advocating for adoption :)
Molly says
IKEA ME!
I already spend some time each month in a volunteer Bible education work & I would use that year to spend more time in that work.
Becca says
IKEA me!
And I need to enter this for real! My husband and I work for a non-profit and want to start a mentoring program for kids in the inner-city. The only problem? Money and other jobs we have to have to support ourselves right now!! We bought a house in the 22nd most dangerous neighborhood of the nation so we can be closer to the kids we work with and hopefully have a bigger impact on their lives. We would ADORE the opportunity to live in that neighborhood and spend a year investing and learning about their needs and starting our mentoring program!
Carrisa says
IKEA ME!
I would spend a year doing something involving abused women and/or children. Helping them get back on their feet.
Kelley says
IKEA ME!!
I would spend a year working on climate change education for kids.