just one day now to go until the iowa caucuses. the candidates making their final pitches in the hawkeye state as a new poll shows donald trump surging past ted cruz and hillary clinton holding on to a very slight edge over bernie sanders. we're live in iowa. back behind a day after an escaped inmate turns himself in, his two accomplices are caught in a dramatic takedown, ending a week-long manhunt in california. >> it was clear to us that these people were armed and dangerous. >> this morning, the big tip that led to their capture. the award goes to diversity. a huge night at the screen actors guild awards, the wins taking on new meaning on the heels of that oscar so white criticism. >> thank you, gentlemen. welcome to diverse tv. >> idris elba snubbed by the academy, picking up two awards last night, leo keeps up momentum as he looks to claim his first oscar. >> i'm truly humbled by this. and sold to the highest bidder? a retired police officer trying

discovers it's not that easy. his four legged friend might be auctioned off because the dog is considered state property. how people from around the country are trying to keep the officer and his canine partner together today. and welcome to "today" on this sunday morning. i'm erica hill. >> glad to have you with us. i'm craig melvin with dylan dreyer. shanle is still under the weather. she's spending another morning at home. it is, as you put it, iowa caucus eve. >> yeah. i like to make it a little fancier. iowa caucus eve. that's our top story. we're now just about 35 hours away from first caucuses. this morning, there is new polling from the des moines register and that's often a good indicator of how the caucuses go in that state. donald trump has five points ahead of ted cruz in that polling. hillary clinton three points

put in the margin of error, they're basically neck and neck. we begin with halle jackson who is covering the republican race from des moines. hallie, good morning. >> good morning, erica. for donald trump this poll represents a 15 point turn around since december. but nearly half of likely republican caucusgoers say even now they could still be convinced to change their minds. and if they do, it is ted cruz who would stand to benefit the most. flying high for now it is donald trump on top the day before the caucuses in iowa. >> donald j. trump! >> reporter: where the latest poll shows he leads ted cruz by five points. >> the numbers were so good for me, which i'm happy about. >> reporter: but trump's acknowledging turnout will matter more monday night. >> it all doesn't matter if you don't caucus on monday. >> reporter: his closest rival here, ted cruz, says he has volunteers making 20,000 phone

>> we're just wanting to know if we can count on you to caucus for cruz on monday. >> reporter: even as cruz slid recently, a sign that trump's attacks on him may be working. the most effective one, according to new polling, not on his canadian birth place -- >> he borrowed a lot of money as you know from goldman sachs and from citibank. >> reporter: but that cruz failed to disclose his loans from big banks. trump has vulnerabilityies too, like his support for eminent domain. >> fancy terms for politicians like trump. >> this race is a dead heat. it is neck and neck. now it is effectively a two-man race. >> reporter: marco rubio would beg to differ. >> we'll do well here and we look forward right after we're done here to get to new hampshire and working there as well. >> reporter: his campaign, appearing pleased with rubio's third place poll position, ahead of the other establishment candidates in iowa, even as rubio downplays talk he could surprise with a second place

on his bus, describing a sense of urgency as the countdown to the caucuses gets closer. >> i'm confident that when this process is finished, and the delegates are counted, we're going to have more than half the delegates and we'll be the republican nominee. >> reporter: this morning, donald trump is taking to twitter to hit ted cruz for mailers the campaign sent out with the words voting violation on them, something cruz was scolded for by the iowa secretary of state. but the cruz campaign points out these mailers are a common practice to get people out to the caucus, similar to one used in the past. the bottom line about all of this, guys, both campaigns know turnout will be keat tothe key to winning tomorrow night. >> hallie jackson, thank you. to democrats now where the race is so apparently so close no one is sure what will happen tomorrow. kristen welker has more on that. good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning to you. that's right, the democratic race is still anyone's to win in iowa.

lead, but she's not taking anything for granted and bernie sanders isn't letting up. the democratic candidates crisscrossing iowa late into the night on saturday, with just hours to go. for hillary clinton, it was all hands on deck. >> i am so proud to support my mom. >> she is the single best changemaker i have ever known. >> reporter: husband bill and daughter chelsea helping to deliver the final pitch. >> thank you, bill. thank you, chelsea. >> reporter: clinton is entering the homestretch with a boost, saturday's des moines register bloomberg poll shows her with a slim lead over bernie sanders, 45 to 42%. the new york times endorsed her, calling her one of the most broadly and deeply qualified presidential candidates in modern history. >> i hope that we'll be able to persuade you to join us to make progress for our country! >> reporter: earlier in the day, clinton tried to turn the page

determined 22 e-mails from the former secretary of state's private server were top secret. clinton telling nbc news, she didn't generate them. >> this is an inner agency dispute. and it is playing out in public and i want it resolved. >> reporter: senator sanders is still riding a wave of insurgent excitement, buoyed by young voters who overwhelmingly support him. >> people said it was a fringe campaign. doesn't look like a fringe campaign tonight! >> reporter: and now, the battle being waged in campaign war rooms. clinton and sanders have both built up armies of volunteers, ready to fight, determined to win. >> i haven't seen this excitement in so long. there has to be something about this crazy old guy, right? >> we're here to help democrats and to hopefully get hillary clinton elected president. >> reporter: now, senator sanders could win iowa if young voters turn out in force as they

he won that group here by a margin of about 4 to 1. sanders and clinton have another relentless day of campaigning that will last late into the night. craig? >> kristen welker in des moines. thank you. chuck todd is moderator of "meet the press" and also in iowa this morning. chuck, good morning. >> good morning, erica. >> there is so much talk about donald trump. we see this new polling that came out last night, but the big unknown, we keep talking about, is how many people will actually show up. we have been hearing from our reporters on the ground that trump campaign now making this push to remind people at rallies how to register and how to vote. is there a sense that is having an impact? >> well, we don't know. we haven't seen the evidence of somehow an upturn in voter registration. on either side. look, high voter turnouts are good for bernie sanders for the democrats and trump with the republicans. but i've talked to first time caucusgoers and i understand why the other campaigns are skeptical. the cruz campaign believes they're going to win and believes they're still ahead

of the first time caw causeucusgoers. i talked to them. some of them have not voted in any election in 20 years. so that's why the skepticism is there. you think, boy, are they going to get up, go through this process, make sure they get to the caucus location, on time. you have to get there at a specific time or they lock the door and you can't get in. so trump's whole reliance is on a bunch of people, who have never done this before. >> chuck, turning to the democrats now, what does this second place finish for bernie sanders in iowa mean for his campaign moving forward? >> i think it means he will be a tough challenger for hillary clinton, but hard to imagine how he could ever overtake her. i think you can't sort of make the democratic nomination fight a true one on one battle that is neck and neck the whole time if he can't knock her off here. because if he can't beat her hampshire, where else is he going to beat her? if he's going to start making inroads in south carolina,

other states, he's got to get democrats convinced that oh, wow, he pulled an upset there in iowa. he came from out of nowhere there. new hampshire is one thing. that's his next door state. but pulling it off here, i think it could catapult him. it is a must win for sanders. >> what is the headline tuesday morning? what are we talking about tuesday morning after the caucuses are over? >> well, if it's -- look, we'll be talking about donald trump. let's be realistic. everything is -- it is donald trump's world, we're just lucky to live in it sometimes. it will be about whether trump's for real or not, craig. if he wins, it's panic time for real for the republican establishment because i think he's going to be very hard to stop. but if he loses, then all of a sudden that seed of doubt is planted into whether the trump phenomenon was all a mirage. >> so much to look forward to, right? it will be a busy 35 hours or so. chuck, thanks.

who is counting? >> you got it. we'll have more -- we'll look for more from you this morning on "meet the press." chuck's guests this morning include ted cruz, marco rubio and bernie sanders. and "today" has you covered on caucus day. we'll be live from iowa tomorrow morning. dylan, the other headline that could be happening on tuesday morning is weather, snow in iowa. >> it could be a blizzard on tuesday. that could force some interesting run-ins at the airport tuesday. a lot of people could get stuck starting monday night. as we go through the day on monday, we are going to see just the increase in clouds. temperatures across the state will be running in the upper 30s, lower 40s. everything is fine. then we get into monday night, and tuesday. that's when the blizzard warning kicks in. notice this southeast part of this state, not under the blizzard warnings, that's where we'll see some rain. if you head south, you should be able to still make any sort of flights. if you're in the des moines area

northern iowa, we are looking at very gusty winds, perhaps as much as 9 to 12 inches of snow. waterloo looks like an area where we'll see the jackpot. so we are certainly going to see pretty interesting conditions especially as we go into monday night and tuesday. that's kind of the time frame where we are going to see our worst conditions. >> all right. >> as far as snow is concerned. >> dylan, thanks. to california, where three dangerous criminals are now back in jail after they escaped last week. the final two escapees captured saturday, one day after their fellow inmate turned himself into police. nbc's steve patterson is outside that jail with more on how it all went down. steve, good morning. >> reporter: craig, for eight days those escaped inmates managed to stay ahead at least one step ahead of more than a dozen law enforcement departments in the state of california. but it only took the quick thinking of one citizen in san francisco to alert police and bring them down. for law enforcement in

up from a bad dream. >> sheriff -- one of the sheriff's worst nightmares. >> reporter: saturday after a week of anxiety, a chance to exhale. >> i can say this morning that the entire state can breathe a sigh of relief. >> reporter: all three men who broke out of this orange county jail back in custody. saturday morning, hossein nayeri and jonathan tieu captured 400 miles away in this san francisco parking lot. police credited the quick thinking of a bystander who spotted this stolen van and alerted officers. as police approached, nayeri fled on foot, but didn't get far. >> he was apprehended shortly after, without further incident. >> reporter: police found tieu hiding inside the van with 380 rounds of ammunition. >> it was clear to us that these people were armed and dangerous. >> reporter: a day earlier, bac tien duong turned himself in. >> make sure he get caught

>> reporter: but investigators zeroed in on nayeri as the possible mastermind. police say despite speaking english, he enrolled in an english as a second language class and befriended teacher nooshafarin ravaghi. she was arrested thursday being held on suspicion she provided maps showing images of the jail's rooftop that may have helped the men escape. >> we know it was much closer, much more personal than it should have been. >> reporter: ravaghi's neighbors say they can't believe it. >> it was quite shocking to see she would even have any part of it. >> reporter: now, the three inmates and the teacher may find themselves on the same side of the law, and behind bars. officials with the sheriff's department here say there hasn't been a jail break in more than 30 years. and that they have already made significant improvements to the jail's security system. meanwhile, those inmates captured this weekend expected to be back here in orange county craig?

morning in santa ana, california, thank you. in denver, a fight between rival biker gangs turned into a deadly brawl outside the colorado motorcycle expo. one person was shot and killed. others suffered gunshot wounds. at least one person was stabbed as the violence escalated. eyewitnesses described dozens of people fighting and just before the gunfire began. police say they're keeping a heavy presence at the hospital where the injured are being treated to prevent any further confrontations. a freshman at virginia tech is now charged with murder in the death of a 13-year-old girl. 18-year-old david eisenhauer, an engineering student, is in police custody, charged with murder after the remains of nicole lovell were found in north carolina. the young liver transplant recipient was last seen wednesday night when her family discovered she may have left her home without her medication. it was a record win at the australian open this morning for the top man in tennis.

murray in straight sets, clinching the championship with a final ace. this was the sixth australian open win for djokovic, tying a 49-year-old record. the total of 11 grand slam titles. dylan is back with the check of the rest of the country's forecast forecast. >> the blizzard in iowa starts in the southwest. we're seeing gusty winds -- i spun too soon there. the board wasn't there. it is starting with very gusty winds out in southern california, l.a. could see gusts up near 50 to 60 miles per hour, and then we'll see the snow spread into the rockies. so because of that, we do have winter storm warnings in effect in this dark shade of blue here. winter weather advisories in yellow across central nevada and then the winter storm watches will start to build into the plains. again, we are looking for about 1 to 2 feet of snow in the rockies. we should see about 8 inches or so in iowa monday night and tuesday. but the gusty winds will make for the blizzard conditions. that's going to be the trouble spot today. we also have a little

great lakes that will trigger some showers, some isolated snow showers, but temperatures will get above freezing, so good sunday morning, i'm kift en kristen ketchel. the raleigh skyline, 40 degrees, and that's your latest forecast. >> good? >> i'm good now. i'm sitting. >> thank you, dylan dreyer. up next, a huge night for some of the year's hottest actors and movies. we'll tell you who took home the screen actors guild awards and how diversity won the night.

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the stars were out in force last night for the screen actors guild awards. a lot of glitz, a lot of glamour. and a lot of diversity and lots of mentions of diversity. >> one of the biggest headlines to come from the evening, the celebration of that diversity from the nominees to the big winners themselves. but the s.a.g. awards also often known as a good indicator for what happens at the oscars. spotlight finally in the spotlight with one of the biggest honors at the 22nd annual s.a.g. awards for ensemble cast. >> no way. >> reporter: but after weeks of criticism for all the right

the real winner of the night. >> look at this stage. this is what we talk about had we talk about diversity. >> reporter: evident in the faces of the winners. queen latifah for bessey. >> oh, my god, i'm in shock right now! thank you so much! >> reporter: viola davis for "how to get away with murder". >> ladies and gentlemen, welcome to diverse tv. >> reporter: beasts of no nation was the film that garnered most oscar snub related buzz, idris elba walking away with not one, but two awards. >> i don't know what to say tonight. like two wins in one night, that's incredible. >> reporter: the other for his role in the tv series lufa. >> let's all calm down. too. reigning queens of comedy tina fey and amy poehler paid tribute to carol burnett. >> i'm so glad we had this time together. thank you.

for the youngest actor on stage, jacob trimblett. >> i can still remember the first time i got nominated for a s.a.g. award. >> reporter: the s.a.g. after awards have a good track record for predicting best actor and actress at the academy awards. it could mean gold for leonardo dicaprio who won for "the revenant". >> i'm humbled by this because it comes from all of you, my fellow actors. >> it will be interesting to see who wins the best picture oscar with spotlight winning last night. we also have seen the big short win at the producers guild award and the revenant won the golden globe. you made an excellent point, though, during that story. >> it was what leonardo -- leonardo -- we'll call him leo, we're very tight. what he said. he said i appreciate it because it comes from my fellow actors. that's what we hear every year. the s.a.g. awards are the most important because these are the fellow actors voting on it and recognizing their

>> when we come back here on "today," bill cosby set to appear before a judge this week. will he eventually wind up eat up, buddy. you'll get it this time. yeah ok not too quick don't let go until i say so. i got you... start strong with the lasting energy of 100% you're doing it! whole grain quaker oats. and off you go. feel a cold sore coming on? only abreva can heal it in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. it penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells.. don't tough it out, knock it out, fast. abreva. (cell phone rings) where are you? well the squirrels are back in the attic. mom? your dad won't call an exterminator... can i call you back, mom? he says it's personal this time... if you're a mom, you call at the worst time. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance,

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good morning, thanks for being with us, i'm mike gonzalez. >> and i'm kristen ketchel. 8:27, 42 degrees outside. >> here are a few of the top stories. we now know more about a fatal fire brought to you yesterday morning. >> investigators say the man who died on the second floor of this house in smith field was actually deaf. crus responded just before five -- crews responded just before 5:00. the cause of the fire and death remained under investigation.

up, but we've . all right. good sunday morning. we're off to a really good start to the day around the area. temperatures in raleigh running around 40 degrees. temperatures riding quickly, so although we are starting off in the 30s and 40s we'll be warming upquickly. warming all the way up to -- up quickly. 68 degrees into the start of a new month tomorrow, february 1st looking really warm. grouped hog day isn't 60s with a high of 61

morning, january 31st, 2016. the last sunday of january, if you can believe that. >> i can't. >> first month of the new year already over. great crowd out there on rockefeller plaza. want to thank all of them for spending a little bit of their weekend with us. we're going to get outside in a bit. >> i just saw a gentleman holding a sign that said fan since the '50s. >> wow. >> we love it. let's look at what is making headlines at half past the hour on this sunday. one day to go until the iowa caucuses. the candidates are out with their final campaign push today. a new poll from the des moines register, considered the gold standard of precaucus polls, shows donald trump surging ahead of ted cruz and hillary clinton maintains a slight edge over bernie sanders. billowing smoke could be seen for miles from this huge fire in lexington, kentucky. flames broke out at a beef cattle auction business, spread to several nearby businesses as well. fortunately no one was hurt. it took about 120 firemen to get

donations are still pouring in to flint, michigan, to help that city deal with the ongoing effects of lead in its water. hundreds of thousands of bottles of water have been gathered and brought to flint so everyone has safe drinking water. a few days ago, tests revealed lead levels in some homes were so high that the filters given out were not effective in keeping the lead out. let's start this half hour with the upcoming court appearance for bill cosby this week, his attorneys are trying to get the criminal sex assault case against him thrown out. they claim that cosby is protected under an agreement with the past district attorney. nbc's kristen dahlgren has a preview of what to expect. >> reporter: bill cosby will be back in a pennsylvania criminal court tuesday, but his lawyers say it should be for the last time. attorneys for the comedian claim the former district attorney made a deal years ago not to prosecute cosby in exchange for his deposition in a civil case, brought by accuser andrea constand. >> they say that's game over.

no evidence of that written agreement from the time. >> reporter: in the 2005 deposition, cosby admitted to obtaining quaaludes to give to with. at the time, d.a. bruce caster crime. >> i remember thinking he inappropriate. but thinking that and being able to prove it are two different things. >> reporter: caster is expected to testify at tuesday's hearing. but cosby's lawyer at the time has since passed away, and according to his current attorneys, critical evidence of the agreement has been lost. cosby's been charged with three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting constand at his pennsylvania home in 2004. constand is one of more than 50 women who have accused the star of sexual misconduct. his lawyers have denied the allegations, and vow to fight them all. their next round scheduled for tuesday, when it will be up to a

case against the man once known as america's dad will ever make it to trial. for "today," kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. a retired police officer in ohio could be losing his best friend. his canine partner, ajax, his trusted companion for the last several years, the officer thought the pair would be able to retire together. but because of a state law, he is simple. nbc's sarah daaloff explains. >> reporter: for four years matthew hickey and ajax have been more than best friends. they have been partners, protecting the community of marietta, ohio. >> he's been active in several arrests, several seizures of contraband. >> reporter: when officer hickey retired after 34 years of service, he planned for ajax, who he considers a member of the family, to join him. >> there is a bond between us and it is very special. >> reporter: since ajax is still young, healthy and could serve for several more years, officer

compensate the city $3500. but was stunned to learn that under state law, ajax is considered property. and will be auctioned off. >> we are under strict rules how we dispose of property when we're dealing with state and federal funds. and as well as taxpayer dollars. >> reporter: public outcry has been fast and furious with comments flooding the city's facebook page. this auction is a travesty, one person writes. let ajax stay with officer hickey, comments another. the city responded, posting in part your voices are being heard and your comments are important. >> is it cold? well, the law sometimes can be cold. do i like it? not necessarily. >> reporter: to increase officer hickey's chances at the auction, donations are pouring into a social fund-raising page. the mayor says the auction date isn't set yet, but the growing crowd is calling for this law stick together. >> i would hate to lose my buddy. >> reporter: for "today," sarah

the power of social media is amazing. check this out. there a go fund me page created for officer hickey a few days ago. it already raised just under $34,000. we were looking at this last night, over at "nightly news" and it was at $17,000. it doubled in less than 12 hours at this point. the page has been shared over 28,000 times. >> if someone does go to that auction and they outbid the officer, it would be good if they gave him the dog. >> i would hope so. otherwise, very upset. >> we'll follow this story and keep you updated. dylan dreyer out on the plaza with the final check of the weather. >> good morning, guys. why celebrate one sweet 16 when you can have a whole group of lovely ladies turning 16? nice group from rhode island here this morning. let's look at the weather going on across the country where it is going to be a warmer than average day by 9 degrees in new york city. pittsburgh should hit 57 degrees today. nashville, 67. 20 degrees above average. we are watching the storm in the southwest, that's going to start

that's going to be the reason why we'll see perhaps blizzard conditions in iowa starting monday night and into tuesday. but in the meantime, we're looking at gusty winds . good sunday morning, i'm meteorologist christen ketchel. all to a good start total day. here's a look from shaw university. temperatures aren't feeling too bad. 40 in raleigh, 36 in durham, 35 in fayetteville, and tonight is a big night for hockey. tonight is the 2016 nhl all-star game. and catherine tappen, a good friend of mine and also with nbc sports group down there, covering it in nashville. and, catherine, i don't necessarily think of nashville

how is it going? >> that's right, dylan. the city of nashville and the nashville predators have outdone themselves. there has been live music being played around town all day, every day, and that synergy between live music and the nhl will continue this afternoon. vince gill, dierks bentley, charles kelly and chris young will join the four nhl coaches behind the bench for today's all-star game. >> and i know it is a new format this year. a new three on three format. that should make things even more exciting than normal this time around. >> yeah, there is no doubt about that. it is a decidedly new twist this year for the all-star game. as you mentioned, the three on three format, three 20 minute games being played. the first two being semifinals. the third being a championship game. and by the way, the winning team gets a million dollar prize. this three on three format was introduced this year in the nhl for overtime and it has taken off. lend itself to the world's biggest stars putting on their most offensive prowess, their best skills on display here and

pressure on the defense men and the goaltenders. most importantly, it is awesome for the fans. they love it. so it will be a great game this afternoon at bridgestone arena. >> have so much fun. i've been seeing your pictures. i know it is your first time in nashville and you're loving every second of it. you can watch the game tonight with coverage, pregame coverage at 4:30 p.m. eastern. that will be on nbcsn. great night tonight. >> dylan, thank you. million dollar prize. >> i know. that's pretty hefty. >> i would say so. up next, our sunday stories from the incredible way that children's lives are coming to life through song. to how women are helping one another get through divorce and widowhood. >> and harry smith with the uplifting story of how art is helping some people regain their footing. all after these messages. ibs-d. you know the symptoms when they start. abdominal pain. urgent diarrhea. now there's prescription xifaxan. xifaxan is a new ibs-d treatment

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brave are having their lives turned into a song. >> it is all thanks to a program that wants to give a voice to children who are most in need and as kerry sanders reports, it is putting big smiles on a lot of little faces. >> reporter: morgan walker wrote a story about a dog in the pound that waited and waited to be adopted. >> he has puppy friends at the shelter, but sometimes he gets lonely. part. because i imagine him really cute. >> reporter: but then again, her madeup story isn't just about a dog. >> come here. hug. >> reporter: as a cancer survivor who lives with the fear of more cancer, it is really a narrative of her own life, about every day holding on to hope. >> no matter how bad of a situation you're in, there is always going to be some hope. >> reporter: as an infant, 16-year-old morgan lost her

tomorrow ia toma. she's long wondered because of that cancer, because she's missing an eye, could she somehow be like that dog in her story? growing up, there were moments like the friend's mother who called after a play date. >> i think she might have called my mom and said, we don't want your daughter coming over anymore because her having one eye is not something i want my daughter around. and that's horrible. >> reporter: but there's more to this story. morgan lives in nashville, music city. her allegory of holding on to hope was chosen by sing me a story, a foundation that takes the words and pictures from a child's imagination, a children's home, hospital or hospice, and like morgan, with

them into a song. with her story of a dog in the pound, an up and coming group humming house wrote music, lyrics -- today is my day today is my day >> and then performed for morgan, with her mom and other teen cancer survivors at gilda's club in nashville. when you hear those words that you created in a story, put to music, how does it feel in your heart? >> feels true. >> reporter: recorded by a grammy award winner at sputnik sound -- now you'll be loved each day and each night >> reporter: -- a story that is now a song has become a soundtrack to a teen cancer survivor's life. whether this song is a big hit

>> that's all that matters. >> it is magical. >> our goal is to bring the voices of kids in need to the world through music. so the one thing that every kid has regardless of circumstance is imagination. >> reporter: sing me a story, more than 300 songs and counting for morgan walker, a song right out of a story. >> thank you. >> reporter: for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, nashville. >> such a great story. >> yeah. music makes a lot of things better. >> it does. i'll say producer jay blackman was big on that story for a long time. still to come, how women who were recently divorced or widowed are helping one another get their financial a typical male penguin shows his love by offering the female... a pebble. some male penguins, however... are a little smarter than others. this valentine's day... everyone loves a gift from kay jewelers.

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we are back on a sunday morning with one woman's vision to help other women recover financially and emotionally after being divorced or widowed. >> these women are really finding their strength in one another. >> reporter: business is booming for joan rogliano, a realtor who has more clients not because she sells their houses, but because

>> i would go to their home with my listing agreement, they would be in tears and we would have a conversation and they would reveal that in fact they didn't want to sell their house. >> reporter: most of joan's clients are women, with one thing in common. they were either going through a divorce or had been recently widowed. >> invariably they were being told they needed to sell, there were no choices, the house had to go. so i bring in a loan originator to help them figure out if they could stay and nine times out of ten they could. >> reporter: rogliano realized there was a trend here, not just that the women needed help managing their homes, but they needed a lifeline too. >> whenever anyone tells you can't do something, maybe it is time to say why not? >> reporter: so joan decided to start the wildflower group, to help other women like herself, a group that provides workshops and support for women who are starting over. >> we just need to start accumulating the funds and over time we can manage the risk for you.

help from the wildflowers. >> my ex-husband had been our sole provider for our family. we had chosen to have our children and i would be a stay at home wife and mom. when i decided to leave him, we were literally with no income. >> reporter: amy wanted to go back to school. wildflowers helped her do that. the nonprofit provides money and financial guidance for women like amy to begin her second act. i've been the recipient of their scholarships to help pay my rent and now i'm a wildflower and blossoming, they say. >> reporter: but it is not just the practical resources that judith wright takes advantage of. >> you know every woman in the room is having a similar experience, regardless of her age or her circumstances, she's going through heart break and rebuilding. >> reporter: after her husband of 28 years left her, she's building a new life at 75. >> i felt like it was the end of

i really didn't know what else i was going to do. to share stories and the inspiration of just knowing that people get through it. i probably made a lot of progress this year. >> reporter: women drawn together by a difficult ending and moving forward to a new beginning. >> women who have come through this and blossomed, there is a lot of that going on. and life can be terrific on the other side. >> reporter: for "today," sheinelle jones, nbc news, new york. >> what a great story. >> yeah. >> love that one. just ahead, per harry smith is in the house with a great story on how some pictures, pictures and pieces of art, rather, allowing some people to find a new lease on life. that's a earning unlimited cash back on purchases. that's a win. but imagine earning it twice. you can with the citi double cash card. it lets you earn cash back twice. once when you buy and again as you pay. it's cash back then cash back again.

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this morning on sundays with harry, you may find it tough to believe that the answers to some of life's great questions can be found at the mall. i did not know that. please explain. >> that's why we're here this morning. pablo bypicasso once said the purpose of art is for washing the dust of daily life off our souls. beautiful, right? what if that art could put a roof over your head too? now you're talking. >> when i do a picture this big, it will be where i can just about my daily business. >> reporter: on a recent afternoon, artist scott bennett admirers. >> i basically wanted to see what it would look like to do a star burst pattern. >> these are roughly about two years old. >> reporter: across the room, kitty zen held fans enthralled. >> this is what energizes me,

and receptive, more vibrant. >> reporter: the art in this pop-up gallery in cambridge, massachusetts, is notable for several reasons. all of it is passed the is it art test by a trio of cure raters and priced right. $75 for a print to thousands for an original. and, oh, yes, each artist is either homeless or disabled. when this opened up and you came in, and you saw your stuff up on the wall, what was it like? >> especially shocking for me when i came in. i walked in and i see this banner with a picture of myself and a little bio and it is the first thing i see when i walk in the door and i was just, like, awe-struck. >> reporter: kitty zen has been homeless since high school. she's battled depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse. she used to sell her art from a blanket in boston common. you're not on the blanket anymore. >> no. >> reporter: the art speaks

of contributors whose work would otherwise go unnoticed. where there is an altruistic enterprise it would be impressive enough, but it is more than that. is this charity or is this art? >> it is definitely not charity. and that's something we are very clear about. >> reporter: liz powers is the ceo and founder of art lifting. >> one of our goals is to reinvent social enterprise and create jobs. instead of creeding handouts. dignity. >> reporter: powers started working with the homeless as an undergrad with harvard. of all the people you met then homeless people, what do they have in common? >> bad luck. and a lot of positive energy. i think my main goal is to give people their first break. break. >> reporter: a number of shelters offer art therapy. what liz saw inspired an idea, market the art like a real

with the artist, just like a gallery. scott bennett used to camp beneath the bushes at the quincy train station. he found his way into a shelter where someone told him about liz, drawing since he was a kid, art was about all he had left. what do you think of liz? >> one time i joked with her and i said is it possible to have a fairy godmother who is half your age? >> reporter: scott has housing now and hope for the future and art lifting is up and running in eight cities, with more to come. >> scott was talking earlier, i felt like i was going to start crying because we -- because we just started this with a very simple idea of let's focus on people's talents and seeing where it has taken off has been pretty incredible. the biggest thing is just taking a step back and, like, realizing the talents in everyone around

because i think that's often ignored. >> i get chills. >> ultimate dignity. >> exactly right. and speaking to one of the artists, things, if you really engage homeless people, you find out, well, there was an illness, something, a something. and everything around them falls apart. this guy is sleeping under the bushes at the quincy train station and now has art in a gallery. >> thank you so much for that. >> another winner. >> quick remind, tune in to "meet the press," ted cruise, marco rubio and bernie sabdnders. and sarah palin joining matt and savannah during a special edition of "today."