The store was damaged during the April superstorm and has since been closed.

Several other ­businesses on High Street, near the East Maitland St Vincent de Paul store, suffered extensive damage the storm.

Some were damaged so much that they remain closed more than a month after the natural disaster struck.

Maitland Locksmiths manager Dane Procter, whose business is two doors down from the Vinnies store in East Maitland, said more than half a metre of water rushed into his shop within about 15 minutes and destroyed furniture, tools and floor coverings.

“We’re still repairing stuff, we lost all of our computers, we lost a lot of tools to make car keys,” Mr Procter said.

“We had a couple of leather couches in the show room – they floated all over the shop.”

Vinnies Maitland-Newcastle Diocese executive officer Denise Lucas said the East Maitland store would be closed “for some time” while the repair work took place.

She said people could still donate clothes, books, toys and other items at Vinnies stores in Maitland and Beresfield or at the various donation bins across the Maitland region.

“We have placed closed signs on the store windows as well as the bins, however people have continued to dump clothing around the bins,” Ms Lucas said.

“Unfortunately, we can’t accept items left on the footpath, and it has become a hazard on the path.”

Maitland City Council development and environment manager David Simm said people needed to behave responsibly when trying to donate items.

“It’s unlawful to simply dump clothing or items on a footpath if the clothing bin is full,” he said. 

“The best solution is to find another empty donation bin to donate your items to.”