United Way of Southeast Minnesota is proud to introduce the Fillmore County Community-Led Research Report, a new look at what matters most to people who live and work in the county. Created through community-led and participatory methods, the report pairs public data with local experience to show how everyday needs fit together.
Key Findings
Together, residents and advisors pointed to eight important needs across Fillmore County:
- Community Resource Navigation
- Transportation and Geographic Access
- Aging and Trusted Outreach
- Community Connection, Belonging, and Vitality
- Financial Security and Basic Needs
- Housing Stability
- Childcare and Youth Opportunity
- Healthcare, Dental Care, and Behavioral Health
Although the needs varied, one theme came through clearly: for Fillmore County residents, accessing support means more than knowing services exist. It means being able to find them, reach them, and trust them, and having someone to help with the next steps.
Creating the Report
United Way staff convened Advisors with local organizational knowledge and engaged community Researchers to gather resident perspectives. Themes were combined across meetings, notes, and related community health findings.
How to Read the Report
This was not a statistically representative survey of all Fillmore County residents. It is structured community learning: a way to surface lived experience, test public data against local knowledge, and guide future partnership and investment decisions. Qualitative findings are directional, and standard public data may not fully capture Plain community experience. The community health improvement plan also covers both Fillmore and Houston counties, so the report uses Fillmore-specific findings where available.
Community Report Share Out
On October 15, United Way hosted the first share out of the report. It was the first in a series of community gatherings to discuss the findings together. We look forward to continuing the conversation with residents, partners, and supporters in the months ahead.
Community learning like this informs where we invest and how we report back, turning generosity into shared civic capacity so more residents can thrive.
last updated November 10, 2026 9:10 AM