One of the last things Deah Barakat did was give back.
In the UNC Muslim Students’ Association monthly trip to Urban Ministries of Durham, Barakat went above and beyond serving food to those in need.
“He spent several months collecting dental supplies,” said Urban Ministries director of community engagement Gin Jackson.”If you don’t have money for food you certainly don’t have money for dental supplies or other hygiene items because it’s not covered by food stamps and food has to come before those other very important items.”
A few weeks later, Barakat, along with his wife Yusor Abu-Salha and her sister Razan Abu-Salha, was murdered in their apartment at Finley Forest Condominiums in Chapel Hill.
Barakat’s classmate Kaushal Gandhi said the dental school, where he was studying, wanted to continue his legacy by starting a food drive to give back to the place where he spent his time.
“Coming up on their death anniversary we thought we want to remember them every year,” she said. “We want to continue this. We want to do an annual food drive, an annual day of service, whatever we can do to keep their legacy alive.”
In the second year of the food drive, the original goal was to raise 600 pounds of food.
They more than doubled that with 1,378 total pounds, which was donated to Urban Ministries’ food pantry to give to households in need.
“We are 100 percent dependent on food donation,” Jackson said. “That 1,300 pounds is probably close to three weeks of food. That may not sounds like a lot but there’s only 52 weeks in the year so that’s a huge, huge, huge amount.”
Jackson said the pantry provides food to 487 households per month. These households can range in size from one to 10 people.
Urban Ministries also offers food, clothes and other forms of aid to those in need.
Related Stories
‹

UNC Students Carry on Volunteer Legacy with DEAH DAYUNC students and other members of the campus community gathered last weekend to do some good across the community and remember the life of a former student who was known for volunteering and having a passion for helping others. More than 400 volunteers provided more than 1,100 hours of service at more than 34 sites […]
![]()
Police Chief Reflects on Chapel Hill Shooting Response, Community BuildingChapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue said he remembers where he was standing on February 10, 2015, when the dispatch went out that there had been a shooting at the Finley Forest Condos in Chapel Hill. “I remember going to the scene and, of course, finding out what we had […]

Suspect in 2015 Chapel Hill Shooting Pleads GuiltyThree young lives were cut short on February 10, 2015. Eyes across the nation turned to Chapel Hill when three Muslim college students – 23-year-old Deah Barakat, his wife 21-year-old Yusor Abu-Salha and her sister 19-year-old Razan Abu-Salha – were all shot and killed in an apartment in Finley Forest Condos where Barakat and Abu-Salha […]
![]()
Durham County DA: Chapel Hill Shooting Suspect Will Not Face Death PenaltyThe Durham County District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday that Craig Hicks would not face the death penalty in his upcoming murder trial. Hicks has been in custody at the Durham County Jail since February 2015, when he is accused of shooting and killing three Muslim college students in Chapel Hill – Deah Barakat, his […]
![]()
Chapel Hill Declares February 10 ‘Our Three Winners Day’The Chapel Hill Town Council proclaimed February 10 of this year as ‘Our Three Winners’ Day at Wednesday night’s meeting. Our Three Winners refers to Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and Razan Abu-Salha, three victims of a fatal shooting in Chapel Hill in February 2015. Barakat was a UNC dental student, his wife Yusor was soon […]
![]()
Craig Hicks Faces Families of Murdered Muslim Students in Brief HearingA man accused of gunning down his Muslim neighbors was emotionless during a brief court appearance where he faced his victims’ relatives for the first time in nearly two years. Defendant Craig Hicks appears to have lost a significant amount of weight since the fatal shootings in February 2015. He wore an orange jumpsuit and said […]
![]()
Our Three Winners Food Drive Brings Town TogetherThe third annual Interfaith Canned Food Drive is underway. The first one was put together just one month after the murders of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and Razan Abu-Salha, to honor the “three winners” legacy of public service. Now, with the help of businesses from across the Triangle, organizers are hoping to collect more food […]
![]()
With Open ArmsEditors Note: The following is an excerpt of an article written by Zachary Read of UNC Health Care. It tells the story of UNC medical student Yousef Abu-Salha who fulfilled a dream of caring for child refugees from Syria, while honoring the legacy of his slain sisters Yusor and Razan and best friend Deah. Read the […]
![]()
Case Against Chapel Hill Shooting Suspect ContinuedThe discovery portion of the case against the man accused of shooting three Muslim college students last February is continuing, state prosecutors said on Friday. James Dornfried with the Durham District Attorney’s Office told Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson that the discovery process is moving forward after some issues with a computer hard drive. Craig […]
![]()
Food Drive For Our Three Winners Doubles Expected TotalOne of the last things Deah Barakat did was give back. In the UNC Muslim Students’ Association monthly trip to Urban Ministries of Durham, Barakat went above and beyond serving food to those in need. “He spent several months collecting dental supplies,” said Urban Ministries director of community engagement Gin Jackson.”If you don’t have money […]
›
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines