Andy Jordan, director of the Colquitt County Food Bank, left, was more than happy to contribute to Ulric “Chico” Burgest's The Lillie Bell Sloan Feed the Family food distribution which will take place on Sunday, Dec. 23, from 2 to 6 p.m., at the Ryce Center in Northwest Moultrie.

Ulric “Chico” Burgest of Atlanta, CEO of Supreme Clientele Elite Records” is giving back to the community that raised him by holding a food distribution at the Ryce Center in Northwest Moultrie to help those in need before Christmas.

“I see so many people that are underprivileged. Plus, I love Christmas. Christmas is about miracles, giving and family. It’s about being full with family,” he said.

Burgest grew up in Moultrie raised by his blind grandmother, the late Lillie Bell Sloan, and his mother, Henrietta Green. He said that he was brought up to believe in God, go to church and to respect his elders. He was also raised with the ideal: “to help those in need.”

After a troubled youth, he was able to get into the music business in 2005 and since then has been representing different artists in Atlanta including two Moultrie natives, Valerie Smith Green and Ashley “Masiya” Carlisle. He has contracted a digital distribution deal with Universal Records and has also started a boxing promotion company called Scrap Promotion, which is named for his grandmother’s nickname.

“Everything seems like it is based around her. She’s the one who gave me my knowledge,” he said.

In light of his success and in honor of his late grandmother, he set up a foundation in her name with the mission “to enhance the emotional, social and spiritual health of families.” This is done through offering financial aid to individuals for funeral costs and to victims of tragedy like fires; and by providing food to the hungry.

“Family  meant everything to her,” he said of his grandmother.

He said he would also like to have a back-to-school event, which he would hold before the next school year starts because education is very important to him, as he will be graduating from college this year. He said that during his teen-age years he had stopped listening to what his grandmother said and had dropped out of school.

“I believed that I knew everything and felt grown,” he said.

He said he started hanging out more in the streets of Moultrie and, eventually, in jail for a period of time.

However, he said, while he was in school, he was told by his science teacher, Minnie Mapp, that “there was more to him.” She was one of the people, who tried to help him along the way, he said.

“I definitely want to thank her,” he said.

And, she was still helping him because he said he would be picking up pies from her for his food distribution at the Ryce Center.

Burgest said that his inspiration for his Lillie Bell Sloan Feed the Family also came from his mother who always had a feast for them during Christmas.

“I definitely want to feed the family. As long as you’re full and with the family, you can joke and laugh all day,” he said.

He said he has seen people who weren’t able to have that full feeling during Christmas and he really believed that, if he could provide that, they would also be able to appreciate “the spiritual food.”

“This is going to be an annual event on the 23rd,” he added.

Some organizations and businesses who have helped him to provide for this year’s distribution are the Colquitt County Food Bank, the food bank in Albany, King’s Jewelry and Harvey’s.

“I want to give my condolences to Jason Bradley’s family,” he said.

The late Bradley was the manager of Harvey’s and he told Burgest he was welcome to come and get items for his food distribution.

The Lillie Bell Sloan Feed the Family food distribution will be held on Sunday, Dec. 23, from 2 to 6 p.m., at the Ryce Center in Northwest Moultrie.

“Christmas is supposed to be about goodness. You never know what kind of miracles it will bring,” he said.