Pacific Palisades Interfaith Council hosted its annual Thanksgiving service on Monday evening, November 24, at Palisades Lutheran Church with the theme “Foundations of Faith: A Time to Renew and Connect.”
A tradition for more than 30 years, Rev. Dr. Martin Lee offered a “very warm and gracious welcome” to the community to the space on behalf of Palisades Lutheran Church, speaking on how he was “deeply moved” by the attendance at the service with it being after the Palisades fire.
He invited longtime congregant Diane Reagan to speak on the history of a quilt, which survived the Palisades fire, that was displayed during the service. Reagan explained that it dated back to 2001, when the community gathered at the interfaith Thanksgiving service that year “reeling from 9/11.” That year, 10 houses of worship each contributed a panel for a “Pray for America” quilt, crafted by Reagan, that served as a prize for a raffle fundraiser for Red Cross.
The raffle winner, Barbara Windebank, and her husband, Harold, lived in England, which is where the quilt went next to be displayed in community centers and Salisbury Cathedral. It was returned to the Palisades in 2002, where it has since been on display at different houses of worship, fire stations and the county fair.
Next to speak was Rev. Dr. Grace Park of Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, who said: “When we gather, we heal.” She was followed by a hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth,” by John Rutter, which was presented by Ross Chitwood and the Palisades Methodist Praise Team.
Bishop Chris Eastland of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints followed, speaking on “Renewing Our Foundations of Faith,” noting that faith is a “uniquely individual thing.”
“Faith is born of hope,” he said, and “hope is a gift.” While navigating life after the Palisades fire, he suggested the community commits to “reaching out.”
“Renew the faith that has always been the foundation of our community,” Eastland said.
Before leading a guided meditation, Brother Satyananda of Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine spoke on “united hearts.”
“We have endured a lot this year,” he said. “We have to recharge, we have to renew.”
Kehillat Israel Rabbi Emeritus Steven and Didi Carr Reuben then performed a duet, “Every Miracle Given Me,” after speaking on morning prayers and gratitude.
Rev. KC Robertson of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church shared about moments where people come “undone or unglued” that don’t “make sense.” She described her own moment, standing in an aisle at HomeGoods, looking for a cutting board.
“None of them were my cutting board,” she said, noting she had to sit down and call a friend to talk through the moment and feel the grief.
Rev. Cathleen Coots spoke on being called back to serve at Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades following the fire.
“What do we say after this difficult year?” Coots said, later noting: “I love this community and the people and its traditions.”
This year’s collection, facilitated by Rev. Stephen Smith of The Parish of St. Matthew, will be given to Team Palisades, which is a “neighbor-led support network formed in the aftermath of the January 2025 wildfires,” built on the Block Captain framework.
Rabbi Amy Bernstein spoke on behalf of Kehillat Israel, committing to match the collection for Team Palisades from discretionary funds.
“It’s so good to be home,” Bernstein said of the evening. She described the Pacific Palisades Interfaith Council as “BFFs in the faith world,” then led a Litany for Peace, where the clergy and congregants went back and forth, reciting lines.
Last to speak was Msgr. Liam Kidney of Corpus Christi Catholic Church, who talked about the “huge challenge” the church and community are facing.
“We’re building for people who haven’t been born yet,” Kidney described. “We will rebuild for the future.”
The evening concluded with the clergy and attendees singing “Lean on Me” together. Pastor Lee invited everyone to stay for dinner and fellowship after the service.
Palisades Auxiliary Unit 283 visited Los Angeles Fire Department Stations 23 and 69 on Friday, November 21, with Thanksgiving gifts.
Seven members— Auxiliary Past President Gina Jakel, Arlene Vaillancourt, Eva Kurtz, Linda Andrews, Mary Jo Stirling, Terri Webb and Stephanie Hubsch—visited LAFD Station 69 first. They were greeted by Captain Tommy Kitahata and were given a tour of station, including the kitchen, and met many of the firefighters on shift.
“They made freshly baked cookies for us—so nice,” said Hubsch, Auxiliary Unit 283 treasurer.
The group then gathered in front of the station where Jakel said a few words of gratitude for the firefighters. She presented them with Thanksgiving cards and three gift certificates (for Shift A, B and C) for $250 to Palisades Garden Cafe, with the Auxiliary saying the firefighters were “very happy” to receive the certificates and cards.
Afterward, eight Palisades Auxiliary Unit 283 members—the previous group plus Fran Aponte—visited LAFD Station 23 where they were greeted by Captain Cesar Garcia. They took a tour of the station, meeting the firefighters on shift.
“The rescue rig was out on a call, but returned before we departed,” the Auxiliary shared.
The group then gathered out front of the station, where Jakel shared words of gratitude and presented the firefighters with a Thanksgiving card and gift certificate for $500 to Palisades Garden Cafe.
At both fire stations, the members and firefighters gathered out front to take a photo. Auxiliary members also purchased T-shirts from both stations.
Palisades Recreation Center Photo by Arden Seretean
The Pacific Palisades Recreation Center Park Advisory Board will meet on Tuesday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m. in person at the small gym as well as virtually via Zoom.
The agenda includes updates from Senior Facility Director Jasmine Dowlatshahi regarding sports and programming activities, and park facilities from Department of Recreation and Parks General Manager Jimmy Kim (including ground and soil testing, Quimby funds status, and the temporary library).
The agenda also includes a proposal for synthetic turf athletic fields, which will be presented by Pali Community Center Committee and Youth Sports Organizations representative Bryan Whalen. There will be public comment on the item (in person and by Zoom), as well as a PAB discussion and vote.
Marquez Knolls Property Owners Association will host its annual block party—described as an “informal gathering for all residents of Marquez Knolls, as well as their friends, families and friendly pets”—on Saturday, December 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We celebrate the vibrant spirit of our community and embrace the occasion to come together and strengthen the bond within our neighborhood,” MKPOA wrote ahead of the event. “Celebrate our LAFD and LAPD first responders, and most of all, enjoy the camaraderie of our marvelous community.”
There will be music, food trucks, drinks, tables and chairs, informational stations, and representatives from Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Police Department and Council District 11.
This year’s party will take place near the 1300 block of Duende Lane cul-de-sac, off Lachman Lane. Admission is free. There will be a “brief program” at 1 p.m. Reservations can be made at marquezknolls.org.
Pacific Palisades-founded nonprofit griefHaven is offering free grief and trauma support via Zoom twice per month for people who lost their homes in the Palisades fire. The next meeting will be Monday, December 1, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
GriefHaven Founder and CEO Susan Whitmore and Dr. Denise Mandel have been facilitating the groups for five months. Whitmore described the groups as a “loving, confidential and educational place to deal with the impact of the fire.”
It is a drop-in group, so people can “come as needed” and “meetings vary in size.” The meetings include writing prompts, educational information about grief and trauma techniques, and time to share.
“This is not a place for people to exchange information about rebuilding,” she explained. “This is a therapeutic meeting for people to talk about their grief and trauma from the fire.”
Based in the Palisades, griefHaven lost its office space in the fire. It has been temporarily relocated to Water Garden in Santa Monica.
To get on the mailing list for the Zoom group, email hope@griefhaven.org or call the office at 310-459-1789. A few days prior to the meeting, an email reminder will be sent to those on the mailing list with the Zoom link.
Palisades resident and mom Yvonne Hsieh shares her creative recovery art piece. Photo courtesy of Cathy Salser
A Window Between Worlds—founded by Palisadian Cathy Salser—will host “Wellness Day: Art in Times of Crisis” on Tuesday, December 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. via Zoom.
“When life feels uncertain, art offers a way to breathe, reflect and begin again,” read information about the event.
During the free virtual live event, attendees will experience “shared stories of resilience” from Salser and Youth Facilitator Sonia Hsieh Schumacher, a “hands-on art experience” “Beyond the Break: A Kintsugi Journey,” led by Kiyomi Knox, and “reflection and renewal.”
“Whether you’re seeking calm, inspiration or connection, this gathering offers space to begin again and reminds us that healing is something we build together,” AWBW Executive Director Zachery Scott-Hillel said.
The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a “green tip” to our readers in each newspaper. This edition’s tip was written by Sara G. Marti, Resilient Palisades board member and communications director.
This Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving, our community is gathering around tables forever changed.
And yet, look at what we have done together.
Neighbors showed up. Volunteers became leaders. Grief became fuel. We learned how to take care of each other and how to take care of the land that holds us.
Today’s Green Tip is simple, but profound: Honor this year by choosing one regenerative act.
Plant something native because the land we love is still healing. Every plant you add is a promise to those waiting to return.
Support a neighbor who is still finding their way because community grows through consistent, quiet acts of kindness.
Swap a gas appliance for electric because safer homes and cleaner air are not abstract ideals. They are choices we make one device, one circuit, one family at a time.
Leave a little less waste behind because everything we discard eventually touches the soil, water and future our children will depend on.
Restore one small corner of the world you touch because restoration always begins at the scale of a single backyard, a single habit, a single moment of care.
These gestures matter. They are how we begin healing the place we love and the place that has shaped us.
To everyone who kept showing up in ways seen and unseen, thank you.
Sun sets over the marina jetty in Marina del Rey, CA as boats enter the harbor
The Palisadian-Post presents an homage to Will Rogers’ column, “Will Rogers Says,” with a column by Palisadian Jimmy Dunne—on life in the “greatest town in America.
All ’Long the Way A story of gratitude
The happiest of Thankgivings to you and those who touch your life …
I drift in a harbor in a boat built for one,
The water is still, the day almost done
The noise of the world has faded from me,
Just quiet and sky—and a soft, breathing sea
In the smallest of boats, I float and I sway,
Wrapped in a hush at the end of the day
It feels, for a moment, like I got me here,
Like every good thing is my doing, my steer
But when you trace back—your life in soft light,
You see you were carried through so many nights
By arms that first cradled you close, skin to skin,
A mother’s low humming that rocked you within
By siblings you sparred with, then found at your side,
Believing in you, with unconditional pride
By teachers and mentors, and the dearest of friends,
You’re stitched out of pieces of all that they’ve been
From all who have loved you and played their small part,
You carry their fingerprints, etched in your heart
You thought you were drifting alone in that bay …
Then you start to remember …
All ’long the way
————–
Joy changes its face as the calendar turns,
Its colors grow softer—a deep gladness burns
As a child, it’s a moment—a toy, a new day,
To young parents, it’s simply, “We got through today”
But later, joy deepens in quieter things,
In knowing you showed up when showing up stings
It’s seeing yourself in the light of your kids,
In stories your pals tell of kind things you did
In grandkids who laugh at your old, borrowed jokes,
In towns where you planted a few sturdy oaks
It’s leafing through scrapbooks of chapters gone by,
Those rich, messy seasons when dreams learned to fly
The moves and the losses, the worries, the wins,
The good fights you fought, new doors you walked in
You see that your mark isn’t set into things—
Not houses or titles or bright, shining rings
Your mark lives in people whose paths crossed your own,
In hearts where a small seed of kindness was sown
When your most precious gift was that you were just there, And said with your eyes just how deeply you cared
So here in your harbor, at close of the day,
You whisper a thank you for all of the ways
Life gave you the chance to love and to stay,
To be shaped and to shape …
All ’long the way
Jimmy Dunne is a modern-day Renaissance Man; a hit songwriter (28 million hit records), screenwriter/producer of hit television series, award-winning author, an entrepreneur—and a Palisadian “Citizen of the Year.” You can reach him at j@jimmydunne.com or jimmydunne.substack.com.
Kathleen Katims Photos courtesy of Saved By A Story
Palisades-Founded Saved By A Story Hosts Wildfire Survivor Writing Workshop, Fundraising Storytelling Salon
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Palisadian Kathleen Katims has been “empowering voices, building community” and “changing lives—one story at a time” for over 10 years. Now, following the January fires, she has built a space for wildfire survivors from Pacific Palisades and Altadena to come together to share their stories.
Founded a decade ago, Saved By A Story hosts “free community writing workshops for under-resourced and under-served populations” to “empower voices and build connection.” More than 500 storytellers have participated in programming to date.
“I really wanted to bring community together,” Katims, who has lived in the Palisades for 30 years, said of the launch of her efforts a decade ago. “I love writing and storytelling and music.”
Katims was in graduate school when she had a project that needed to connect writing and social justice, she explained. She said she thought of a project to bring people together around writing that could also be a healing experience.
“The first workshop I did was with foster youth,” Katims said. “I read an article about how for some foster youth, one of the most painful aspects is that you don’t have anybody to hold your story.”
Saved By A Story was officially launched when Katims began to bring these workshops to additional populations, running free workshops for women and teens in recovery, former foster youth, neurodiverse teenagers, parents raising neurodiverse kids, teachers, and seniors.
Beginning in November 2023, Katims started hosting Senior Writing Workshops, which took place at Palisades Branch Library. About 60 people have participated in the drop-in workshop, which now meets at Westwood Branch Library.
A meeting of the Wildfire Survivor Writing Workshop
Saved By A Story also partners with other nonprofits to facilitate writing groups.
“It’s emboldening voices that we don’t usually hear from to get people to tell their story and get their story to the page,” Katims said. “In that process of sharing, there’s a lot of community that comes together. People become friends.”
Some of the prompts Katims has used include writing about something the person has worn that has been powerful or a love/hate relationship.
Then, in 2025, following the Palisades and Eaton fires, Katims was inspired to launch a new group.
“After losing my Pacific Palisades home in the 2025 wildfires, I created an ongoing group for other survivors to process and heal,” Katims said. “I lost more than my home in the wildfire. For me, the diaspora of community was a profound grief. I also was so overwhelmed with all the things that needed to be done that I wanted to create a space apart from the doing. I wanted to come together in community and give voice to all the things we lost and all that we were finding.”
Katims, who lost her home on the Swarthmore Bluffs, launched the Wildfire Survivor Writing Workshop in April, which originally met at the Peter Fetterman Gallery and now meets monthly at Wende Museum. She said it “helped knit our community together,” adding it gives “voice to our pain and our hope.”
“I’ve gotten to know neighbors in this extraordinary way that I never knew … what we share in the group stays in the group,” Katims said, “but it has really created connection for me and I think many people feel more connected to their neighbors … it’s a way to come together with people who have a shared, traumatic experience.”
She said the workshop offers participants a chance to set “aside the doing” of post-fire life, like fighting with insurance companies, and “getting to process what happened” through writing. Some people have written from the perspective of their house to tell the story or about their neighbors.
Pictured, from left: Tom Freund, mehro and Priscilla Ahn perform.
“Participants who have been impacted by the fires come together to write about the history of the cherished places we have been, what we have lost (and found), and how we will chart a way forward,” read a description of the workshop. “We will write to timed prompts to spark creativity, share and savor stories, and connect with friends and neighbors. Come together and write, choose to share (or not, you decide), listen and write some more.”
Writing workshop participants said they have found them “transformative,” Katims said, with “professional writers and budding voices” invited to “explore and experiment” while “writing to prompts,” which have included a “goodbye you feel like you need to say.”
“There’s a lot of understanding,” Katims said of the workshop. “I will say too, remarkably, there’s also a lot of laughter … there are tears, there is laughter, there is kind dreaming into the future, there is remembering.”
To sustain the Wildfire Survivor Writing Workshop, as well as other work, Katims hosted Saved By A Story’s annual fundraising event—a storytelling salon—on Saturday, November 1, in Venice. To date, the salons have raised more than $190,000 to help “under-resourced and under-represented people tell their story.”
“I had really wanted to bring together community after such a wrenching year,” Katims said of the event. “I also really wanted to both tell the story of the wildfire, but I also wanted to uplift people. It was, I think, the hardest show I’ve had to curate, to try to find that balance.”
While putting the show together, Katims said she was thinking about resilience and “how are we going to go forward,” but also to “face what we lost” and “the trauma of it as well.”
“The show raised $38,000 to further our mission to offer free community writing workshops for people going through difficult transitions and for under-resourced, under-represented people,” Katims said.
The salon, attended by 175 people, featured storytellers from the Palisades, Altadena and greater Los Angeles area, who shared stories and songs on the theme of “Still Here,” which Katims said “honors the resilient Palisades and Altadena communities.”
Wildfire survivor writers and performers at the fundraising salon
“We were curating the evening both trying to tell the story of the fire and trying to uplift people,” Katims described. “Some stories were about coming through the fire and others were about resilience in the face of other difficult circumstances: a difficult divorce, a falling out with a parent after coming out. The music by three singer/songwriters also dealt with the theme of resilience and finding your power.”
Wildfire Survivor Writing Workshop participants who performed were Shermaine Barlaan (from Altadena) and Tamara Rawitt, Jason Katims and Karen Leigh Hopkins from the Palisades.
Additional writers and storytellers who participated were Megan Chan Meinero, Chris Douridas, David Israel, Jessica Goldberg and Al Madrigal. Musicians included Priscilla Ahn, mehro and Tom Freund, curated by Liza Richardson. They closed the evening with a performance of “Forever Young” by Bob Dylan.
Israel spoke on an 11,000-mile trip across the country he took with his wife after the fire, while Douridas shared on “the day of the fire and what he did in response,” Katims described. Both writers lost their homes in the fire.
Katims’ husband, Jason, told a story from the perspective of his first plays and a short story he had written when he was younger that had not been digitized and were lost in the fire.
Kathleen and Jason Katims
“Many people wrote and reflected that they were so moved and inspired by the show,” Katims said. “They were happy to be in community again, and also to get to laugh and cry about all that has happened.”
The Storytelling Salons date back to 2016, Katims said. Past performers have included Sara Bareilles, Cindy Chupack, Natasha Rothwell, K’naan, Winnie Holzman and Daveed Diggs.
Katims invited interested community members to join the Wildfire Survivor Writing Workshop, which will next meet on Saturday, December 20, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Glorya Kaufman Community Center in the Wende Museum in Culver City, 10808 Culver Boulevard.
With residents displaced, people attend from as far away as Carpinteria and Ventura: “There’s people coming from everywhere,” Katims said.
“It’s an opportunity to connect with neighbors and process what’s happened and listen to what you’re hoping to find afterward,” Katims continued. “We laugh, we cry, we connect.”
For more information or to sign up for a future workshop, visit savedbyastory.com.
