  Frequent disruptions like highway constructions are common now-a-days, often
impacting environmental justice communities (communities with low
socio-economic status with disproportionately high and adverse human health and
environmental effects) that live nearby. Based on our interactions via focus
groups with the members of four environmental justice communities impacted by a
major highway construction, a common concern is a sense of uncertainty about
project activities and loss of social connectedness, leading to increased
stress, depression, anxiety and diminished well-being. This paper addresses
this concern by developing a localized social media system called PureConnect
with a goal to raise the level of awareness about the project and increase
social connectedness among the community members. PureConnect has been designed
using active engagement with four environmental justice communities affected by
a major highway construction. It has been deployed in the real world among the
members of the four environmental justice communities, and a detailed analysis
of the data collected from this deployment as well as surveys show that
PureConnect is potentially useful in improving community members' well-being
and the members appreciate the functionalities it provides.
