Last year I wrote a column suggesting that Desserts Plus could become a daycare in order to solve the community's need for a daycare.
http://www.winnipegjewishreview.com/article_detail.cfm?id=3758&sec=6&title=Editor's_answer_to_the_daycare_conundrum:__Desserts_Plus_Daycare (I am not sure why the Rady JCC preferred an old fire hall to the Dessert's Plus location, but who am I to pass judgement).
 
This year, as Passover approaches, I would like to suggest that Desserts Plus could also potentially function as a shul to ensure an active and thriving shul atmosphere.
 
With the drop in synagogue attendance, it is often difficult to get a minyan, but I believe that Desserts Plus is well placed to offer a unique solution.
 
If Desserts Plus functioned not only as a store and catering service, but  also functioned as  a shul then with some foresight and planning Barbara ,Ed , Pam and Lisa Reiss could synchronize the timing of the pick -up of meat orders with minyan times. That way there would always be at least ten people coming to pick up meat orders during  minyan times such that  daily minyans  would be guaranteed. (Ed would always be able to count as the tenth for a minyan if need be, and if women were counted Barb and her daughters would certainly be in high demand.)
 
This is a win-win situation for the community and Desserts Plus. Not only would this unique solution ensure an active shul, but it would also be good for Dessert Plus's business--after all, after a little davening, people generally like to have a kiddush, and that craving for a nibble and a nosh would likely result in increased food sales for Dessert's Plus ! What a hub of activity.
 
 I have raised this idea of a Desserts Plus Store-Shul combo with Ed Reiss and it really resonated with him since he advised that in fact "I used to live in a shul". Now I certainly had not foreseen that response!
 
Ed explained that when his parents first came to Canada and arrived in Saskatchewan, he and his parents lived for the first three months in the vestibule of a shul! Go Figure.