The Woodlawn Buying Club was created in 1999 as a way to get high quality, healthy food at an affordable price on Chicago's south side. Every four weeks, members of the buying club place an order with United Natural Foods, Inc., the country's largest distributor of natural and organic foods, the same company that supplies Whole Foods Markets. Purchasing in bulk is both economical and ecologically sound; members save on the cost of the items they purchase and burn less fuel, as they drive less often to local or distant supermarkets.