Cierkowski gives back

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Through A Sip of Art, a paint and sip art studio located in West Orange that opened in 2016, Efe Cierkowski of South Orange donates a portion of her business’ sales from private parties to local charities and school PTAs. Cierkowski has donated more than $8,000 to organizations such as the St. Barnabas NICU, West Orange Relay for Life, West Orange Police Athletic League’s football league, Redwood and St. Cloud elementary schools in West Orange, Autism Speaks and Wendy Williams Hunter Foundation, as well as organizations in Africa.

Every time you attend a public class at A Sip of Art, a percentage of the fee is donated to St. Barnabas NICU, where Cierkowski’s daughter Maya spent two months after being born. When you book a private party, you can choose which charity will receive a donation.

Born and raised in Accra, Ghana, Cierkowski emigrated to the United States in 1999 to attend Mount Holyoke College. She has also served on the board of directors for NEO Africa Foundation, organizing an initiative called “One Paycheck 4 Ghana,” for which each board member donated one paycheck annually to support the organization’s activities. Initiatives included extending merit-based educational scholarships to talented under-privileged students in Ghana and facilitating a summer leadership camp program.

Cierkowski currently lives in South Orange with her husband and four young children.