Clothing, kitchen items and manchester carefully donated by residents was left a sodden, wet mess when floodwaters swept through the Princes Highway store on Saturday, April 6.

"A lot of it is destroyed, it [floodwaters] didn't come in through the ceiling, it came in from the side," Lifeline South Coast CEO Renee Green said.

"Everything that it's touched is considered contaminated and it has to be thrown out. About half of the stock that was in the shop has to be thrown out.

"It's upsetting to see that some of the donations won't be able to be sold."

At least 14 homes are uninhabitable and 31 inundated during the storm's deluge, but Lifeline Illawarra and Anglicare Op Shop Dapto are yet to see a spike in flood victims in their shops.

"We haven't seen a significant increase in people looking for help, but we know that the initial stages are taken up by people doing the practical things like looking for somewhere to live," Ms Green said.

At Anglicare Dapto, store manager Ryan Xuereb said the last few months have been a bit quiet and this week has not seen an increase in trade.

Since Lifeline's Corrimal volunteers discovered the mess on Saturday they've been giving their own time to clean up the shop.

"The shop is closed and we're not sure at this stage when it will reopen," Ms Green said.

"Our volunteers have been wonderful, they've waiting by the phone for us to say 'come back'."

While the store was left a huge mess, it was insured and it will reopen.

Lifeline's other stores in Wollongong, Dapto and Nowra remain open and are accepting donations.

"We always have lots of donations and we're incredibly grateful, we just ask that it's not damaged," Ms Green said.

"We always ask would you give it to a friend or a neighbour, if not it's better in the bin."

Charity shops across the Illawarra are accepting donations of clean, unbroken goods during business hours only.

Emergency funds are available for Illawarra flooding victims, with free household clean-up on offer for flood-affected Wollongong and Shellharbour residents.

From Thursday, April 11 until Saturday, April 13, free Recovery Assistance Points are operating in Warrawong and Thirroul

For assistance cleaning up from the floods call the SES on 132 500.

If you need to talk, 24-hour crisis support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14.