Walk into the Through the Trees storefront at 120 West Main Street in Brevard and the first thing you’ll notice is the gaming setup glowing in the window, and the circuitry painted across the glass. People slow down, peer in, and ask what exactly is going on in here.
Here’s how it works. The shop is a resale store — with refurbished laptops, tablets, and phones priced to be affordable — and anyone can buy one, which funds the mission. Getting one free is need-based: you qualify if you’re on a program like SNAP or Medicaid, a student on free- or reduced- lunch, a veteran, or unhoused. Those who qualify apply, join a waitlist, and pick out a device at no cost when their turn comes. Everyone else can still buy one, at affordable prices.
Yvette Brooks, who founded Through the Trees and runs it as executive director, didn’t grow up in Brevard — she chose it, leaving Mesa, Arizona, with a “Goldilocks Town” list of what mattered most and a year in an RV to find the right fit…