Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I work with Willing & Able

Join Our Team – If you’re a person living with disability looking for meaningful employment, we offer supported employment opportunities across various businesses, including our Op Shop, Coffee Bar, Renovation Centre, Woodwork, Commercial Laundry and more.

Join Our Support Team – If you’re looking for a career where you get to make a real difference and support the Willing & Able mission.

Volunteer – If you’re passionate about making a difference, we welcome volunteers to support our programs and services.

To learn more, contact us today on 6581 0939 OR fill in our online contact form

What is the NDIS

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding to people living with disability in Australia to assist them to live independently, participate in their community, access new skills, gain and retain employment and helps to provide an overall improved quality of life.

The NDIS provides funding for supports and services based on each person's reasonable and necessary needs.

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What is the NDIA

The NDIA is the National Disability Insurance Agency their role is to implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

The NDIA:

- Provides information and referrals, links to services and activities, individualised plans and where necessary, funded supports to people over a lifetime.

- Helps empower and inform people with disability to be confident consumers.

- Provides service providers with clarity and transparency so they can grow their business and respond to need.

- Raises community awareness and encourages greater inclusion and access for people with disability to mainstream services, community activities and other government initiatives.

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What Can I Donate

Willing & Able accept donations to promote and enable reuse of a large range of items to reduce landfill. This includes clothing, linen, toys, household items, furniture and bric a brac, second hand building materials (doors, windows, timber, Gyprock), tools, garden and outdoor items, sporting and camping equipment. Xrays and bottles and cans are accepted for recycling.

We do have a particular standard/condition that is acceptable. For a comprehensive list of what we will and won’t accept and what standard/condition the item must be in, please visit our A to Z guide.

View Our A-Z Guide

What Can’t I Donate?

ome of the items we cannot accept as donations are: Clothing with rips, holes or stains, printers, computers, mattresses (unless in as new condition), pillows, carpet, vertical blinds, old phones and gas heaters. Unwashed items: everything on the “what we accept” list must be clean.

View Our A-Z Guide

Does my donation need to be cleaned first?

YES! All items or clothing and linen should be clean and without stains, rips or holes, and we are only able to accept items that are in good condition ready for reuse. WHY? We don’t have the capacity to clean items that are donated and so must send dirty or damaged items to landfill.

This is not only bad for the environment but costs our organisation money. When we pay to take items to a waste transfer station, it diverts valuable funds we would otherwise use to create employment opportunities for our communities.

Please ensure you always check your items are at a standard that would pass the friend test! Would you give them to a friend or family member?

Visit Our A-Z Guide

How can I request a pick-up?

Phone us (Monday to Friday: 8:00AM-3:30PM) on 02 6581 0939

Request a pick-up online

Book through the forms section of the Port Macquarie Hastings Council Waste Info App – download here.

If you submit your pick up request online or via the Port Macquarie Hastings Council Waste Info App, a member of the Willing & Able team will phone you as soon as possible to confirm your collection day and time slot.

Request a Pick-Up

What days and times are available for collection?

We schedule collections each week, Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 2:30pm.

Your pick up time will be confirmed in either timeslot:

8:30am to 12:00pm or

12:30pm to 2:30pm

We collect from most areas weekly, but some areas we schedule based on demand.

We often have a fully booked truck so get in early to secure your preferred week.

Do you pick up from my area?

We collect from most areas weekly, but some areas we schedule based on demand.

If you request a pick up one of our friendly team will confirm a time slot with you.

We often have a fully booked truck so get in early to secure your preferred week.

How do I pack my donation?

We accept goods packaged in all shapes and sizes, but would prefer that items are packed in cardboard boxes rather than plastic bags wherever possible.

Do I need to be home for the collection?

This will depend on the items to be collected and whether you are able to leave items in a safe place out of the weather. We will discuss this with you when we confirm your pickup day and time slot.

Please remember that we can refuse to take items that don’t fall within our acceptance guidelines and quality standards.

Where can I drop off a donation?

- Clothing, linen, textiles, furniture, bric-a-brac, garden and outdoor items, tools, sporting and camping equipment and x-rays can be dropped at our Op Shop at 39 Jindalee Road, Port Macquarie from Monday to Friday between 8:00am and 3:30pm.

These items can also be dropped at any of the five waste transfer stations in the region with a Willing & Able quality donation point – Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Comboyne, Kew and Cairncross.

- Building materials (such as doors, windows, timber and gyprock) can be dropped at our Renovation Centre at 38 Jindalee Road, Port Macquarie, from Monday to Friday between 8:00am and 3:30pm.

How will my donation be used?

Your donation will help provide meaningful employment for our supported staff. Suitable items will be used as follows.

Textiles (such as clothing, linen and manchester), bric-a-brac, furniture, homeware and toys are sorted for sale within our Op Shop. Our craft area stocks fabric offcuts and wool, and buttons are cut from rag materials and bagged for resale. Textiles that are not fit for reuse are made into rags for resale and anything that can be used overseas will be sent to One Ten for further sorting and export.

Garden and outdoor items, tools, and sporting and camping equipment are re-sold at our Op Shop.

Electrical items are tested and tagged for safety and re-sold in our Op-Shop.

X-ray films are de personalised for confidentiality and sent for recycling. Once they are processed, valuable silver is recovered.

Building materials (such as doors, windows, timber and gyprock), garden and outdoor items, tools, and sporting and camping equipment are re-sold at our Renovation Centre.

Please note that we can only accept items suitable for reuse. Goods that are unwashed, broken, not in working order, torn, ripped or stained items and cannot be used will have to be sent to landfill. This is not only detrimental to the environment but costs Willing & Able money. Every dollar we have to spend taking unsuitable donations to a waste transfer station diverts funds away from the employment opportunities we are working to create.

For a comprehensive list of the items we can and can’t accept and the condition each item must be in, please visit our A to Z guide.

View Our A-Z Guide