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HELPING HANDS

11 EAST CHURCH STREET, SPRING VALLEY, NY 10977 · Restaurant (Nutrition for the Indigent)

Inspection summary

HELPING HANDS has been inspected 26 times by New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) since February 22, 1995. The most recent inspection, on January 30, 2026, recorded 3 infractions.

16 of 26 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 3 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Pests, Protecting food from contamination and Handwashing and staff hygiene.

Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.

What these findings mean

Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.

  • PestsHigher risk

    Signs of mice, rats, cockroaches or flies, or gaps and clutter that let them get in or hide. Pests carry bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces, so evidence of activity is treated seriously and usually triggers a follow-up visit.

    Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on January 27, 2022. For example: Insects, rodents present

  • Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk

    This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.

    Recorded once on January 29, 2025. For example: Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked)

  • Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk

    Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.

    Recorded once on January 22, 2020. For example: Toilet facilities inadequate, inconvenient, dirty, in disrepair, toilet paper missing, not self-closing doors, missing hand wash signs

  • Food source, labelling and allergensHigher risk

    Food must come from approved suppliers, stay in labelled containers and be thrown out when it is spoiled or damaged, such as dented or swollen cans. Labelling matters for allergies: an unlabelled container can hide an allergen.

    Recorded once on January 23, 2019. For example: Canned foods found in poor conditions (leakers, severe dents, rusty, swollen cans)

  • Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk

    Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.

    Recorded once on January 18, 2017. For example: Improper use and storage of clean, sanitized equipment and utensils

About this data

These results come from New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.

26 inspections

  1. Inspection

    3 infractions

    • 15B: Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 10B: Non-food contact surfaces and equipment are improperly designed, constructed, installed, maintained (equipment not readily accessible for cleaning, surface not smooth finish)
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 11D: Non food contact surfaces of equipment not clean
      • Not Critical Violation
  2. Inspection

    3 infractions

    • 11D: Non food contact surfaces of equipment not clean
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 8A: Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked)
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
      • Not Critical Violation
  3. Inspection

    0 infractions

  4. Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 11D: Non food contact surfaces of equipment not clean
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 15B: Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
      • Not Critical Violation
  5. Inspection

    1 infraction

    • 14A: Insects, rodents present
      • Not Critical Violation
  6. Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 15B: Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 14A: Insects, rodents present
      • Not Critical Violation
  7. Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 12D: Toilet facilities inadequate, inconvenient, dirty, in disrepair, toilet paper missing, not self-closing doors, missing hand wash signs
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 15B: Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
      • Not Critical Violation
  8. Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 1D: Canned foods found in poor conditions (leakers, severe dents, rusty, swollen cans)
      • Critical Violation
    • 15B: Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
      • Not Critical Violation
  9. Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 15B: Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 8B: In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
      • Not Critical Violation
  10. Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 8C: Improper use and storage of clean, sanitized equipment and utensils
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 8D: Single service items reused, improperly stored, dispensed, not used when required
      • Not Critical Violation
  11. Inspection

    0 infractions

  12. Inspection

    0 infractions

  13. Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 16: Miscellaneous, Economic Violation, Choking Poster, Training.
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 15B: Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
      • Not Critical Violation
  14. Inspection

    0 infractions

  15. Inspection

    0 infractions

  16. Inspection

    0 infractions

  17. Inspection

    0 infractions

  18. Inspection

    0 infractions

  19. Inspection

    0 infractions

  20. Inspection

    0 infractions

  21. Inspection

    0 infractions

  22. Inspection

    0 infractions

  23. Inspection

    0 infractions

  24. Inspection

    0 infractions

  25. Inspection

    0 infractions

  26. Inspection

    0 infractions

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