On Thursday, Yvonne sat on a bench right outside the Lansford Midrise complex on Bertsch Street. It was a cloudy but warm day, characteristic of early spring.

The door of her apartment in the complex is marked by a wreath of pastel Easter eggs. The kitchen is directly to the right of the entrance; it’s small but functional, lined top to bottom with brown, wooden cabinets.

A narrow corridor leads to the main living space, which is occupied by a round, glass dining table, three chairs, a green striped couch and an armchair to match.

Two months ago, the 55-year-old was living in the Carbon Plaza Mall, just outside of Lehighton. She spent a week moving from bench to bench, hoping not to be noticed. At night, she was able to stay inside the mall, but she barely slept, as her condition, lymphedema, made it so she was unable to lay down.

“I wasn’t looking for help,” Yvonne said Thursday. “I kept telling everybody ‘go out and find somebody else and help them,’ because I just didn’t want to bother anybody.”

But Christine LeClair, president of the St. Vincent De Paul Society based out of St. Joseph’s Church in Summit Hill, found Yvonne and put her up in the Mahoning Inn Blakeslee Boulevard. She was eventually relocated to Summit Hill’s Parkview Inn. She doesn’t want to use her last name because of the stigma of being homeless.

When Le Clair first started looking for permanent housing for Yvonne, she contacted the Carbon County Housing Authority. Le Clair was told it could take up to a year and a half before Yvonne would be placed.

To speed up the process, Le Clair wrote a letter on Yvonne’s behalf, confirming her situation. As a result, Yvonne was able to move into the Midrise last Saturday. Her apartment was almost entirely furnished through friends of Le Clair’s, who also helped set it up. The deposit was covered by the Order of Franciscan Seculars.

“From where I was to now — I never thought I’d be here,” Yvonne said. “Honestly … I didn’t think I’d make it this far.

“I can never thank them (the people who donated) enough. I don’t think they really know how much they did. To me, it means a lot.”

Over the last few weeks, Yvonne has been able to visit the doctor, receive medication, apply for food stamps and cash assistance. But it wasn’t an easy process.

When she first found herself experiencing homelessness, Yvonne considered going to live in the woods, because in her words, it was easier to do that “than to deal with the system.” She used her phone, one of the few items she carried in her backpack, to search for resources, but couldn’t locate any in Carbon County whose criteria she met.

Yvonne couldn’t find an organization specifically meant for women like her. She hopes her story might change that.

“There really needs to be something for women,” Yvonne said. “I’ve met other people who have been homeless through this, and you hear their stories — and their just the same as me — but when there’s no help, it just makes it so dreary.”