Kentucky police officers gathered together in Lexington to hand out hundreds of Thanksgiving meals to families in need for the holiday this year.

Officers with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and the Lexington Police Department met in Lexington’s East End to help hand out three hundred boxes of food to families in the community in partnership with God’s Pantry Food Bank.

As part of the organization’s Thanksgiving Sharing Program, police officers went door to door dropping off boxes of food and wishing a happy holiday to local residents.

The program has been distributing food across Kentucky during the holidays for the past 27 years. This year, the organization sent out 6,500 boxes across the state with ingredients to cook a traditional thanksgiving meal, including dry goods, a turkey, and a dessert. The law enforcement agencies even added to the number themselves by preparing extra boxes.

Sheriff Kathy Witt said volunteering was a great way to build relationships and trust with the community.

“The people that you serve and protect, they have to trust you, if they don’t trust you then the working together doesn’t happen it doesn’t occur and, so, to be able to go up and knock on someone’s door bring them this basket have a conversation it’s critical,” said Sheriff Kathy Witt.

Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers told WKYT that it gives residents a chance to see police in a different light.

“Usually people see us when something bad is happening. We want people to see us doing something good,” he said.

According to WKYT, law enforcement officials said this year’s program was more important than ever, as officers have to work with communities to curb growing homicide trends.

“Working together, we can solve this issue,” Witt said.