It takes a village to raise a child, or cope with flood
In a small town isolated by flooding, one mother was desperate for nappies.
Childcare centre director Joanna Hartley started organising and soon found out there were many others in need.
"We had a dozen families come and collect nappies," she told AAP.
Many schools have not been operating amid record-breaking, deadly flooding around the NSW mid-north coast, with clean-up efforts continuing on Tuesday.
But community non-profit Cuddlepie Early Childhood Learning Centre at Wingham has opened, helping to provide some sense of normality as the recovery continues.
"Some of the families have been flood-affected with mud that's up to their knees so I can only imagine what they're going through.
"Not to mention how that emotionally impacts children as well.
"Having that normalcy for them, and providing that is 100 per cent needed," Ms Hartley told AAP.
The childcare centre did not escape the intense rain and flooding unscathed.
"We've had, in our garden area, a lot of run-off from the excess stormwater ... our soft-floor has morphed."
"It's a big tripping hazard so now I've got to do a risk assessment."
Marie Johnston from Wingham clothing store Country Kids has also been helping get supplies where they're needed, after spending days helping friends clean up their muddy homes.
"I just couldn't handle doing anything physical after that so I thought well how can I help, what do people need?
"Gumboots, everybody needs gumboots."
Many local shops had run out but Ms Johnston was blown away by the results after she posted about "the great Aussie gumboot drive" on her store's Facebook page.
"I had people waiting for me when I opened up the doors (on Monday)," she told AAP.
Ms Johnston estimated she got about 30 pairs of gumboots to those who needed them.
"The people were so grateful, so it was a good day, and I'm extending it ... if people still need gumboots I'll extend it to Wednesday.
"The community feeling, it was just beautiful, I had a really lovely day."
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