(KAIR)--A tradition of the Christmas season is now in the books for its sixth year, as the Atchison County Sheriff’s Office has wrapped up its annual “Shop with the Sheriff” program, continuing, for another year, a holiday tradition focused on helping local families in need and building trust with local youth.

The program pairs children in need with deputies for a shopping trip, giving them the chance to pick out clothing, shoes, and holiday gifts. A release to the Sheriff's Office social media says, this year, thanks to strong community and donor support, the Sheriff’s Office was able to serve 21 children, noted as an increase from years past. Each family also received holiday meal gift cards from Van Dyke’s Grocery.

Selected families were submitted on behalf of the program by the school district's of Atchison's USD 409 and Atchison County's USD 377.

The goal of the program is to create positive, lasting relationships between youth and law enforcement in Atchison County.

The Sheriff’s Office, in the release, also credited the partnership with Atchison's Walmart, giving "a sincere thank you...for their outstanding support and assistance with this year’s event," saying "their staff did a fantastic job helping ensure the evening ran smoothly."