STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Two Staten Island mothers navigating their children\u2019s sensory needs are joining forces this holiday season to host a comforting and inclusive Christmas event aimed at bringing joy and accessibility to local families.<\/p>\n
Veronica Saez Acevedo, of Travis, and Kristen Liberatore, of Tottenville, are co-organizing a sensory-friendly \u201cSensory Santa\u201d meet-and-greet on Dec. 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Harmon Funeral Home, 571 Forest Ave., West Brighton. <\/p>\n
Liberatore\u2019s daughter, Jade, has autism, and both women say their experiences as mothers inspired them to create a more welcoming holiday experience for children with sensory sensitivities.<\/p>\n
Acevedo said her advocacy is rooted in her own journey with her son, James York, now 2, who was born abruptly at 29 weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a mother who has faced many hurdles with my son\u2019s prematurity, it dawned on me that we are not alone,\u201d she said. \u201cMy son\u2019s first Christmas was spent in the NICU. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t able to celebrate like other parents, yet we still helped decorate the unit, and I sang Christmas carols to all the babies.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"(Courtesy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/B53EOELXNBGQFLVEOACXLUI6SQ.JPEG\")
Kristen Liberatore, who hails from Tottenville, left, is co-organizing a sensory-friendly Christmas event \u2014 \u201cSensory Santa\u201d \u2014 with Veronica Saez Acevedo, a Travis resident.(Courtesy Veronica Acevado)(Courtesy Veronica Acevado)<\/p>\n
James spent 104 days in the NICU \u2014 76 of them at Richmond University Medical Center before being transferred to NYU for more acute care.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been a long road,\u201d Acevedo said. \u201cAfter 104 days, he came home. He taught us what hard work and hope is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Acevedo works as a funeral director in Staten Island and Brooklyn and serves as a cantor at several parishes, including Sacred Heart Church. Her husband, Jared Acevedo, is an FDNY EMT stationed at Station 22, and the family remains active in the community as James continues to grow and navigate sensory dysregulation.<\/p>\n
Acevedo and Liberatore said they began brainstorming ways to create an environment where children of all abilities could enjoy the holiday season without feeling overstimulated. <\/p>\n
Their planning led to Sensory Santa \u2014 part of a growing nationwide movement that focuses on quiet, supportive settings where children can meet Santa on their own terms.<\/p>\n
![\"(Courtesy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/N7YHRPV74NBMVJKXXRHPCPCVLE.JPEG\")
Kristen Liberatore, who hails from Tottenville, is pictured with her daughter, Jade, who has autism. (Courtesy Veronica Acevado)(Courtesy Veronica Acevado)<\/p>\n
The event will include reduced noise, gentle lighting, slower pacing and minimal distractions to help children feel relaxed and safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cSensory Santa is focused on creating a soothing, welcoming space while still spreading joy,\u201d Acevedo said. \u201cHis cheerful laughter and love of music are open to all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Families and siblings are welcome, and the event is open to the public. Community members are encouraged to volunteer or attend.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are reaching out to the community for one objective \u2014 the children,\u201d Acevedo said. \u201cPlease join us in spreading hope during this sacred holiday season.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information, call 718-442-5056.<\/p>\n
![\"Courtesy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/WUZ3LALS3FHDXB5MUNSA6IEQUM.JPG\")
Courtesy Veronica Saez AcevedoCourtesy Veronica Saez Acevedo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Two Staten Island mothers navigating their children\u2019s sensory needs are joining forces this holiday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":62160,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-62159","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}