For Ms Nye, part of the Mogo Local Aboriginal Land Council ranger team, it was a moment of hope after weeks of despair.

Mogo has a long way to go to recover from the fires that that savaged it on New Year's Eve. But it's not destroyed, and the town wants tourists to know they need you to come back.

The Indigenous community centre, Boomerang Meeting Place, has become a hub of the town's recovery effort.

On Thursday, it was a hive of activity as elder Aunty Maryanne Nye led the effort to sort through and distribute donations.

Sherrie Nye said now more than ever, differences didn't matter. "We are all Mogonians," she said. "Everyone looks out for each other, it doesn't matter what colour they are."

Anyone in need is welcome to come and take what they require. And there are plenty of people in need in Mogo.

The town has a population of just over 300, and has lost more than a dozen homes. A number of businesses also did not survive.

The first glimpse of the town on the drive in from Batemans Bay is the charred rubble remains of iconic businesses like Mogo Pottery.

Ms Nye said the centre had helped between 200 to 300 families since it first got supplies a few days after the fire came through.

She and her husband were some of the lucky ones, but many of their direct family members and community elders have lost their homes. Others are doing it tough after losing income or possessions in the fires.

"We don't knock back anyone who's in need," she said. "You can't discriminate in these circumstances, you can't just look after your own, you've got to look after everybody because we've all got to rebuild together."

Among those who have received help at the centre are Damien Hadzic and Magenta Byrne and their two children. They lost their home and most of their possessions when the fire tore through their property. Despite the devastation, Mr Hadzic has spent the past few days helping to restore power to homes that were still cut off. As well as providing supplies, the centre has been an escape for their two children who have been able to play with other local children there.

After the fires swept through, initial reports implied Mogo had almost been wiped off the map. While the town is hurting, about two thirds of the businesses still remain. Locals see tourism as key to the town's recovery and believe if business owners who lost everything see others doing well, they will be more likely to rebuild.

Mogo Nursery owners Phil Mayberry and Gayle Smith said it was only for the kindness of strangers that they were able to reopen so quickly.

Bosch sent workers down from Sydney to help in any way they could. While Mr Mayberry and Ms Smith said they were among the lucky ones who kept their home and business, the store did suffer minor damage.

"We would still be cleaning up if those guys hadn't have turned up and helped us," Mr Mayberry said. He said the town needed tourists to support it more than ever. "Canberrans are a huge part of our business, we call them the northern suburb of Mogo," he said.

Mogo Fudge manager Shelly Jarrett said the businesses remaining were hurting and needed tourists to come back. They, like others, were shut down for more than two weeks of what would have been peak trade.

"It's not just a business that loses out it's everyone involved," she said.