The Faces of Pacific Palisades

Shamon and Sara Shamonki Launch Website for Residents to Share their Stories

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

After any tragedy there comes a time for healing. Palisadians Shamon and Sara Shamonki are seeking to help provide that through The Faces of Pacific Palisades—a campaign devoted to the community they love that gives fellow residents a platform to share their stories with the world.

Whether the person is retired, a student, a teacher, a doctor, a business owner, a government official or a military officer, the Shamonkis want a range of voices heard because they believe in the power of community and that any information shared keeps people connected.

On January 7, Shamon and Sara lost their home in the Palisades fire. Nearly everything they owned was gone in an instant, but in the days and weeks that followed, the couple was surrounded by kindness—from friends, neighbors and even strangers. In turn, Shamon supported affected homeowners with his guidance and helped families find new temporary places to reside.

They experienced firsthand the strength of the Palisades community, and it reminded them that home is not defined by walls, but by the people who stand with you when it matters most. That strength inspired the couple to launch the project that has become near and dear to their hearts.

Shamon and Sara both work in the real estate business and have grown their brand while affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty. As real estate professionals, they have served the Palisades and surrounding communities for more than two decades.

They have three boys (ages 15, 12 and 7) who all started at Calvary Christian School at a very young age, beginning with the “Mommy and Me” program. Their eldest son went on to Palisades Charter High School after Calvary, and their two younger boys were still attending Calvary when the fire erupted.

The Palisadian-Post interviewed Sara, and here is what she had to say.

Post: When did you launch The Faces of Pacific Palisades? Do you let people submit their own stories or do you interview them?

Sara: We officially launched The Faces of Pacific Palisades in the summer issue of the Palisadian-Post’s 90272 Magazine but we’d been working behind the scenes for months before that, gathering interviews, building the website and shaping the vision.

People may nominate themselves or others to share their story. If you know someone who contributes to the Palisades’ heart and soul, we want to hear from you. If that someone is you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We have a private questionnaire for them to answer.

Post: How many people have you highlighted so far? What are the longterm goals for the project?

Sara: As of today, we’ve shared the stories of four incredible people (including Palisades Garden Cafe Owner James Kwon and House Pilates Owner Lana House), with multiple more interviews waiting to be posted. Our vision is simple: It’s a community-building passion project, created for all of us.

At its core, The Faces of Pacific Palisades is a love letter to our hometown. We hope it helps keep the faith and spirit of the Palisades alive as we collectively rebuild stronger, more connected and more inspired than ever. And … it’s entirely self-funded.

Post: How do you decide who to feature on your website and who came up with the idea? 

Sara: We’re looking for people who love the Palisades—whether they live here, work here or simply care deeply about this community. The Faces of Pacific Palisades began as a way to spotlight the small business owners who keep our town running and help us feel more connected to the people behind the storefronts.

Since the fire happened and as the project has grown, so has our vision. Many incredible Palisadians are quietly making a difference. Parents active in their school communities, neighbors stepping up to help wherever needed and local community members working tirelessly behind the scenes to protect and rebuild our town.

We were introduced to The Faces Of platform a few years back, and we immediately connected with the community-building spirit behind it. That’s when and why we signed on to host The Faces of Pacific Palisades, but it wasn’t until after the fires that we truly understood how vital something like this could be.

In the midst of all the newly created communication groups and rebuilding efforts we realized what was missing was real human connection. So, we decided to contribute in the best way we knew how: by telling people’s stories and bringing our community closer through them.

Post: Where were you living at the time of the fire and how long had you been there?

Sara: We lived on Avenida de la Herradura in the Highlands for six years, and before that we called the Alphabet Streets home.

Post: Were you at home when the fire started? If so, when did you evacuate? Did you make any attempt to save your house? 

Sara: Our eldest son and I had just finished a walk on the beach and were driving back home when we saw the plume of smoke around 10:28 a.m. as we came up Palisades Drive. I pulled over at Piedra Morada and called 911 to report it. Thankfully, Shamon worked from home that morning, and our two younger boys were back in school at Calvary.

We ended up evacuating around 12:15 p.m. Shamon considered hosing down the house and yard but I was eager to get out so I asked him not to. We also evacuated our neighbor with us because her husband was away at work and was unable to get back home due to the traffic and road closures.

It was a harrowing drive down the canyon with flames on both sides of us, embers falling down from the center divider palm trees and just complete and utter chaos with cars backed up with nowhere to go. Thankfully we made it out safely, but it was a traumatic experience for all of us to endure.

Post: How long had you lived in Pacific Palisades and why did you decide to move there originally? Where did you live before that? 

Sara: Shamon’s family immigrated from Beirut, Lebanon, to Los Angeles in 1974 and planted their family roots in 1976 when Shamon was only 4 years old. He attended Calvary as a preschooler, then Marquez Charter Elementary School, then Paul Revere Charter Middle School and finally Pali High. Although he spent time attending university in San Francisco and later working on Wall Street in New York, he eventually returned to LA to resettle in the Palisades.

I’m an LA native, having grown up in both Palos Verdes and the San Fernando Valley. After Shamon and I met in 2005, we knew the Palisades was where we wanted to raise our family. We were soon married, and within a few years, we bought our first Palisades property together in 2011. It’s always felt like home.

Post: What were your favorite places to go and things to do in the Palisades?

Sara: You could always find us at Moku Sushi or Spruzzo for an early family dinner. Beech Street and Pearl Dragon were longtime favorites, and after the boys’ Spring Sing and Christmas performances at Calvary, we’d head straight to Vittorio’s—our go-to celebration spot.

On Sunday mornings, Shamon loved taking the boys into town for a stroll through the farmers market, always running into friends and neighbors. As a family, we enjoyed hiking behind our house in Trailer Canyon or hitting the trails at Temescal Canyon.

During baseball season we practically lived at Palisades Recreation Center and on the PPBA fields, cheering on at least two of our boys at any given time. Shamon proudly sponsors a team every year and was lucky enough to see two of his teams win PPBA World Series Championships. We truly miss those days.

Living in our neighborhood felt like being part of a small village. We looked out for each other, gathered at the pool in the summer and made lifelong memories trick-or-treating with close friends off Piedra Morada. One thing I cherished most was my morning beach walks with dear friends after school drop-off.

Some of Shamon’s favorite old-school memories of the Palisades in the 1980s include the annual Moonlight Madness village event, family dinners at Barrara’s, The Captain, Mort’s and eating ice cream at Baskin Robbins.

Post: Where have you been living since the fire? Do you plan to rebuild and move back, and if so, what is the timeline for returning?

Sara: For the time being we’ve resettled in Palos Verdes Estates and plan to remain there until we rebuild our house. All three of our boys are going the local schools there. While it’s far away from everything, we know, it offers a semblance of peace and normality for our family during this difficult journey.

We hope to return by early summer 2027, which honestly can’t come soon enough. There’s truly no place like home.

Post: What advice do you have for residents who have lost everything? 

Sara: Our advice is to take each day as the gift it truly is because nothing in life is guaranteed. Celebrate the small wins, embrace your loved ones often and never take a single moment for granted. We’re deeply thankful for all of our blessings every single day.

For more information or to submit a story, visit thefacesofpacificpalisadesca.com.