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A man in Singapore, Eric Chiam, set up a vending machine at Yarrow Gardens, Siglap to express his appreciation towards deliverymen and drivers for their work.
"TVYMdrinks", which stands for "Thank You Very Much drinks", has been operating since Jan. 11, 2023, outside Chiam's home at 13 Yarrow Gardens.
Photo via Eric Chiam's LinkedIn
A family project
In a LinkedIn post, Chiam shared that "TYVMdrinks" was born as a project at home with his family.
The original idea was to store drinks in a fridge by the gate of his house, but he was met with "significant difficulty" trying to customise a shelter for it.
Therefore, they opted for a vending machine as it could keep the drinks cold and withstand the outdoor environment.
"We realised that a vending machine may be more suited for the outdoors as it can handle the sun and rain better," the project's Instagram account explained.
One of Chiam's sons even created a Google Document, where he wrote the first ideas and critical considerations.
His other son designed the logo and vending machine stickers using Canva, while his daughter runs the Instagram account.
His wife orders the drinks, and lastly, Chiam funds the project.
637 drinks dispensed
Within the first month, 637 drinks were dispensed from the vending machine.
"Green tea and 100 plus were the clear favourites," Chiam wrote, noting that no one liked Hojicha.
An average of 21 cans of drinks would be dispensed per day.
According to Chiam, postmen and refuse truck workers use the vending machine daily.
"The Grab and Lalamove guys were in two camps, some took the drinks, but others were in too much of a hurry to notice its presence. We reckon news of the drinks machine has not gone around in their WhatsApp groups much yet."
However, this project by Chiam and his family did not go unnoticed.
The Instagram page has received messages thanking them for the free drinks.
Family bonding
Photo via Eric Chiam's LinkedIn
Chiam shared that the best part of the project was spending time with his children topping up the drinks.
"Whilst simple and mindless, it was compact good fun always," he wrote.
Top photos via LinkedIn/Eric Chiam