DOWNEY -- Mayor Mario Guerra presented his second Diakonia Award to the Santana family during the City Council meeting held March 10.Humberto and Irene Santana, along with their daughter, Isabel, were honored for "their honorable service to our community," Guerra said. Humberto Santana returned home to Downey two weeks ago after serving his second stint overseas with the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Iraq for 18 months, and previously completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan. He has been in the Army for eight years. "I wanted to honor the Santana family for their mutual service to our citizens," Guerra said. "While he was away risking his life for our freedoms, his family sacrificed the love of a husband and father. They inspire us and give hope to all other families who are going through the same situation." The mayor's Diakonia Award is presented each month to residents who provide service and give back to the community. Diakonia translates to "servant" in Greek. Anyone wishing to nominate a person for the award should contact the City Council office at (562) 904-7274. ********** Published: March 20, 2009 - Volume 7 - Issue 48