One family’s promise

The philosophy in the Pelletz family’s household is to give. 

“My family was as generous as could be, and they were always taking care of others. In general you gave what you could give,” said Longboat Key resident Stanley Pelletz. “Everything is relative to what you have.” 

So, naturally, when Betty and Stanley Pelletz decided they wanted to find a way to help the homeless community of Sarasota in 2010, they wanted to get their entire family involved. Together with their three sons, David, Marc and Steve, the family bought and donated a house complete with renovations and furnishings to Family Promise of Sarasota.

The nonprofit organization helps low-income families avoid losing their home as well as establish reliable housing to help families achieve lasting independence.

The Pelletz family liked the idea of helping other families and looked for an organization that would suit that goal. The Sarasota branch of the national organization Family Promise was the perfect fit. Director for Family Promise of Sarasota Wendy Fitton recalls how she felt when she heard that the Pelletzes would be donating a house. 

“We won the lottery when they came forward,” Fitton said. “Family Promise is a national program so many of the other affiliates have transitional housing units, but we didn’t. I always wanted it because it’s a great thing. So to have that as an option I was blown away.”

The Pelletz family purchased a house and completed renovations in time for the 2011 holiday season. Just donating a house wasn’t enough, though, they wanted to make it a home. 

Betty Pelletz and her son, Steve, took charge of finding furniture and decorations.

“He did all the shopping with me for all the second-hand furniture to furnish it,” Betty Pelletz said. “Then he decided that because there were going to be kids in there he went out to the Red Barn and bought all kinds of games and cards for kids.”

Since 2011 the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home has housed 12 families through Family Promise of Sarasota. The Pelletz family continues to maintain the home. 

To commemorate the family’s gift and remember Steve Pelletz, who died in March 2013, Family Promise of Sarasota named the home “Steve’s House” and presented the family with a plaque in April.

“It’s always great to have something that’s going to last that’s going to remind me of my brother because he was always involved in charity,” Marc Pelletz said.