• Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Power 40
    • Money & Career
    • SOKO MRKT
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
    • Essence Holiday Gift Guide 2023
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
      • Hair News
      • Natural
      • Relaxed
      • Transitioning
      • Weave
      • 4C
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Power 40
    • Money & Career
    • SOKO MRKT
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
    • Essence Holiday Gift Guide 2023
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home • Health and Wellness

Black Woman Fighting Breast Cancer Creates App To Help People Accept Assistance In Their Time Of Need

Ayanna Smith has created an all-in-one support platform for people to be there for loved ones, in a way that won't overwhelm, during vulnerable times.
Black Woman Fighting Breast Cancer Creates App To Help People Accept Assistance In Their Time Of Need
Getty Images
By Elizabeth Ayoola · Updated October 5, 2023

When your whole world turns upside down due to an unforeseen diagnosis, it can be difficult to know how to move forward. In addition to that, it can be overwhelming to respond to the support you receive from loved ones during that time. That is why Ayanna Smith, a tech entrepreneur and mother of two currently fighting breast cancer, ideated the app Journey Together. The app aims to help individuals going through a life crisis consolidate all of their support and access it in a single place. With it organized, you can better respond to family and friends and follow up on their offers to help in a myriad of ways. There are multiple platforms that help you address singular types of support but few that bring them all together. For instance, GoFundMe helps you raise funds while Ianacare helps you delegate tasks but those spaces don’t do both. Journey Together will be everything in one.

“I am fortunate to have a mighty network of friends, family, neighbors and colleagues who are always quick to jump into action whenever I need support but there have been times when receiving help has felt like work, despite obvious intentions,” says Smith. “Journey Together is my contribution to the care community, and to people like me who want to receive help that is thoughtful, intentional and on their own terms.”

Types of support people can receive using Journey Together include phone call and visitation notifications, which tell people when it’s convenient for them to reach out to their loved one. Status updates are also included, which can save the person the stress of having to repeatedly update loved ones, one after the other, on how they’re feeling or how things are playing out. Wish lists are available to address tangible needs, as well as resource recommendations, and personal notes in the app. Finally, users can volunteer to help the recipient fulfill tasks, be it grocery shopping, daycare pick up, cleaning up or any other type of support they need. 

To use the Journey Together app, the recipient or a caretaker must create a “solidarity co-op” and send invitations to loved ones so they can join and support.  As for fees, the app is free for the recipient of it the assistance for the first 25 people. If you have 26-100 users, there is a one-time fee of $5.99, and co-ops with unlimited users have a one-time fee of $9.99.

Journey Together will be available to download in November, amid the holiday season, when love and support may be most beneficial to those in need of it. Learn more about the app at journeytogetherapp.com.

TOPICS:  Breast Cancer
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now