*** 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.
Emily says
IKEA ME! I would love to volunteer my time with children/families who have problems with obesity. Give them a love for cooking/eating right and learning how to enjoy exercise!
Olivia Cottrell says
IKEA Me!
I would love to help women around the world fight for the rights that they deserve. Just this week an American politician was discriminated against because of her gender, and I would love to change that.
Ally Copper says
IKEA Me!
: )
I would love to spend a year teaching literacy skills to underprivileged children in urban areas.
emily says
IKEA ME!
i’d start a non-profit to encourage urban homesteading: educating people on how to save money and help the environment by being more self-reliant, and by working to change laws in counties about land and animal use.
Meagan says
IKEA me!
If I had a year off, I would do something with art … art projects with the elderly or with disadvantaged kids. I also really enjoyed volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in college, so that would be another thing I’d like to do.
Janice says
IKEA ME!
Nicole says
Ikea ME!
I would help out the people in Haiti somehow.
Kathy says
IKEA me!!!
I would LOVE to take a year off and volunteer! Only problem…wouldn’t want to go back after the year was over! I would definitely do something with children and art and photography…like getting a company like Nikon or Canon to donate digital cameras to a group of underprivileged kids (early grade school) and I could work with them while they learn to see and document the beauty and love in their environment. I could set up with galleries to show their work and raise money to fund their further efforts…sounds like so much fun!
Sarah says
IKEA Me!
I would work with Habitat for Humanity to try and re-vamp the Re-Store in our area and really get the community involved in donating/re-using perfectly functional home materials.
Bethany says
IKEA Me!!! I would move to back to Africa and help improve the communities there in practical ways.
Jess says
IKEA ME! Thanks! I’d spend the year working with at-risk youth, I used to do this as a teacher but now work in a different career and I miss it!
Valerie Smith says
Ikea me! I’d start an after-school science program for school girls!
Sarah says
IKEA Me!
I would volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.
Giles says
IKEA me!
I would spend the year volunteering and helping re-establish music programs in the public schools in my area.
Erin says
IKEA ME! I would address the issue of college access in rural WV and provide transportation to campus from their homes.
Rose says
Oops, I meant like her, since South America isn’t where she went, but it’s where I’ve always wanted to go to do a similar thing!
windsor faulkenberry says
IKEA ME!!!!
I would love to take a year and have the resources to go on mission trips with my church. We have a new mission team called “Double X Factor” that travels all over the world and helps women and children. I would also love to get involved with a local medical mission organization called “The Dream Center”
Tracy says
IKEA ME PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!
If I had a year off I would volunteer my time working children with autism!
Michelle says
IKEA ME!
I’d love to take a year to set up a program for kids with health problems to have access to alternative medicine modalities. As a pediatric nurse, I see so many kids who could see a huge benefit from incorporating alternative and complementary medicine into their current treatments, but it’s expensive and often not covered by insurance.
Katie says
IKEA Me! I’d work for Young Life, ministering to high school kids in my own community…I’d love to help with their organization called Young Lives which mentors teen moms!
Jen Lauren says
Ikea Me!
I would spend time working with a non-profit like Show Hope to provide orphans with loving families.
sarah r. says
IKEA Me!
if i had a whole year to volunteer, i would work at a school or orphanage for truly needy kiddos [i currently work as a school psychologist at a very wealthy district]
Naomi says
IKEA ME PLEASE!!!!!!! If given a year off I would spend A LOT more time with my daughter:) and involve her with helping families in need in our own community, big brother/big sister, international adoption, and I would volunteer at our local humane society…
kelsy says
IKEA ME!
i would use the money to help increase awareness and stop the destruction of the worlds rain forests.
Stephanie Pollock says
Ikea me!! I’d rescue Greyhounds!
Jessica says
IKEA ME!!! I am a social worker and I would use the money to work on finding/providing housing resources for our inner city kids that want to get out of a bad situation or who just dont have anywhere to live.
Ginny says
IKEA ME!
Sarah says
IKEA Me! I’m an occupational therapist and I would love to build wheelchair ramps (I did this once during spring break) and complete home modifications for disabled individuals who couldn’t afford to have them otherwise.
Mollee says
IKEA Me!
I was recently diagnosed with a chronic stomach disorder called gastroparesis. If I could spend one year helping others, I would start a campaign for gastroparesis awareness, and I’d raise money for those worse off than I am who need pacemakers in their stomachs.
Elizabeth says
Would love to surprise my husband with a “man cave” Ikea me!
If I could spend a year helping others — in the morning I would spend my time visiting with and assisting the elderly. Late afternoon I would help the young providing quality after school programming.
Krystal says
IKEA ME!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would work with gifted and talented students to form a creative problem solving team.
Shannon says
IKEA ME!
I would volunteer with special education students around my community!
JenniG says
IKEA ME!
I have been dreaming about taking a month to volunteer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah – a year would be DIVINE!!!!
Lisa in Seattle says
IKEA Me!
I would tutor at-risk kids and get involved again with a local adult literacy program.
Jessie (Bites and Pieces) says
IKEA ME! I would spend a year building homes for Habitat for Humanity or similar organizations. Not only would I be helping people in need, I would be learning a lot at the same time!
Marae says
IKEA me!
I would honestly love to help out at one of my local women’s shelters.
New York Muhtari says
Ikea Me!
If I could spend a year helping others I would teach how to read and write to kids who have no access to schools and I would call it “Back to School with Ikea”.
Dido aka New York Muhtari
Shannon says
IKEA Me!!!
If I could have a year off I would travel with my entire family (including our 3 kids ages 5-9)to work with “Find The Cure” and Italian Dr.s w/o boarders in India.
Emily says
IKEA Me! I’d spend a year with an organization we already support in Mexico, building houses and taking care of orphaned teenaged boys.
Jen S. says
IKEA ME!!!!
I would volunteer with children that have special needs.
Kelli says
IKEA ME!
I would work with at risk youth.
Martha says
IKEA me!! I would work for Habitat for Humanity building houses.
Meghann P. says
IKEA Me!
I would spend the year educating children and families on proper nutrition – childhood obesity rates are atrocious right now.
Stacey says
Ikea me!!!
If I could spend a year helping others, I’d volunteer at a pediatric cancer center or organization (ideally, St. Jude’s in Memphis). Thankfully, I’ve not been directly affected by pediatric cancer, however it is a cause dear to my heart. Anything I could do to brighten the day of a child battling cancer would be a day well spent!
Design Esquire says
IKEA ME!
I would love spending a year working for the Alzheimers Association or maybe the Jimmy Fund here in Boston.
Kelly says
IKEA ME!!!!
I would love to take a year to work with an organization such as Doctors Without Borders or serve as a traveling nurse in another country. I am a registered oncology nurse – I feel as though I am trying to do a lot in my current job to help others. I would love to go to a country in need and offer my nursing services.
Ker says
IKEA ME!!!!
I would travel back to El Salvador, work with the orphanage down there, and help with Habitat for Humanity.
Teresa@where in the world? says
IKEA ME!
While my husband was on a 15 month deployment in 2006-2007, I dedicated my year to three projects, volunteering answering phones at the Red Cross, spending a week rebuilding homes in New Orleans a year after Katrina and running a Summer Food Program for my local food bank.
I figured I would volunteer the days that we were apart instead of working a standard job.
Now is my season at home, but if I entered I would probably go right back to feeding hungry kids. One in seven American elementary school kids don’t get enough nutrition to perform in school.
Ashley says
IKEA ME! Wow, that’s a tough one. I think I’d have to have my hand in several pots- helping Austin become a no-kill animal shelter, visiting orphanages, and helping foster children.
Amy says
Ikea Me!
I’d probably spend a year helping animals or children. Both are soft spots for me!