Save Rico Rainbow from Homelessness

My name is Dani, and I am starting this GoFundMe on behalf of my father, Rico Rainbow, who has been struggling with homelessness for a few years now.

He is a rad, fun musician (Berklee grad and Hollywood producer) and a wonderful father. I have been unable to help him as I myself have faced some hardship with safe, stable housing and cannot accommodate him.

He has had a series of maladies since before 2020 and has wound up devastated: wage theft and other human rights violations have been a regular experience for him.

The perpetual wage theft has led to complete financial exhaustion, and I have watched as he experiences homelessness and starvation over the years.

After the assassinations of his mother and teen sister, he remained focused on taking care of surviving after the traumatic loss (which has caused him PTSD), family affairs, and raising me.

I have watched my father navigate the loss of my grandmother and auntie with many ups and downs; I’ve seen him drive vans and tractor-trailers, dig trenches, and do moving jobs in all types of weather to support me and be close to me. I have also seen him working stage and studio in Hollywood, rocking sax, bass, piano, voice, and directing.

In 2024, my father reached a new level of despair regarding his instability and disappeared for 7 months. After detailing his plan and giving me all his instruments and hard drives, he attempted to commit suicide and was unsuccessful. He was abused and assaulted at the local homeless shelters when he attempted to seek asylum, and after enduring sleeping in a van and a mechanic’s garage for months, he contacted me and we reunited.

When we’re together, no one believes that anyone as bright, smiley, loving, and sing-songy as him could be enduring such demoralizing hardships. I have witnessed people fall in love with my father’s voice when we go to open mics and sing together, and have enjoyed sharing his wisdom with my community (the perspective of a father who has an active relationship with his child, and his guidance to anyone in need of a father/grandfather figure).

My Dad CAN recover and advance, but only with a group effort. I’m looking for people that care about family, the arts (music, especially!), mental health, and adding light to this dark realm.

Donations contributed will help provide my dad with a safe and secure place to reside, healthy food, clothing and medicine. Once he has stable shelter, he will continue to share both his music (of which I am a FAN!) and his unique insights about fatherhood, homelessness, and the shelter & welfare system.

**Edit 11Jun25:

We have increased our funding goal to include medical attention ASAP: Dad had a bicycle mishap in 2022 that damaged his jaw, left 4 teeth cracked (with 2 actively breaking), and a dead tooth. **

Thank you in advance for being part of the Grand Rainbow Conjunction and Rainbow Phoenix Ascension!!! Your contributions mean the world to me, as I couldn’t foster his stability on my own, and my life is significantly better when my dad is in it.