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 The Louise Graham Regeneration Center, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, provides employment for developmentally disabled adults through the recycling and sale of paper products.
The Center was founded by Mrs. Louise Graham (1903-1983) in 1949. Her dream was to train developmentally disabled adults in basic work skills to increase their independence, and their sense of accomplishment and self-worth.
Ms. Graham, a volunteer at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, met a developmentally disabled man who had been abandoned by his family. Because of his disability, hospital personnel treated him as if he were helpless. Ms. Graham felt the best way to help him was to teach him self-sufficiency. She took him home, set up shelving in her garage and taught him how to stock the shelves. She worked with him until he could stock and arrange the shelves on his own. She then arranged an interview for him at a local grocery store where he was hired as a stock clerk.
As the years went on, she continued helping the developmentally disabled, and because of her dedication, friends throughout St. Petersburg joined her by volunteering their time and donating resources. From 1952 to 1980, the group was known as the Florence Nightingale Circle. When Louise Graham died in the 1980s, her friends renamed the organization in her honor. Today, the Louise Graham Regeneration Center continues to meet the needs of developmentally disabled adults who deserve to be recognized for their ability to contribute meaningfully to our community.
 The Center is located in the Midtown redevelopment area of south St. Petersburg. Prein addition to providing pre-employment training, the center also employs adults with disabilities in a variety of positions in our nationally certified secure document destruction business, in paper and cardboard recycling, and in packaging and light assembly work.
Additionally, skills are taught that contribute to greater independent living, life and social skills development, and self-sufficency. Center staff work closely with case managers (Support Coordinators), employment and other specialists who serve our clients.
The Center's mission is:To provide opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities to maximize their independence through the provision of quality life skills training, paid employment and participation in the community at large.
Employability skills, work experience and paid employment opportunities are provided through the ongoing entrepreneurial businesses of the Louise Graham Regeneration Center. For more information about our shredding services, paper products, paper and cardboard recycling, and packaging and light assembly services click on any one of the following:
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