They might not be big, but the kids at Little Diamonds Preschool in Oakley made it their business to make a big difference in the lives of others this Christmas season.

In support of the U.S. Marines’ Toys For Tots program, the school conducts an annual coin drive in which students decorate a coin jar, take it home and fill it with coins earned by doing chores, transferred from their own piggy banks – and of course, found under couch cushions.

“When their jars were full, they would bring them back to school and tell the class how they got the coins for their jars,” Little Diamond Director Robin Sullivan wrote in an e-mail. “Then they would dump the money into our class jar and return them home to fill them time and time again. The outpouring of coins, bills and stories has been overwhelming.”

The enthusiasm with which the kids tackled the project boiled over into a desire to help others not in their immediate community: the class participated in the Haiti 1 by 1 project, seeking to raise the $360 it takes to sponsor a Haitian child and provide food, clothing and medicine for a year.

When all was said and done, a pair of Marines attended the school’s annual celebration at Grace Bible Fellowship Church, where they were presented with $559 in cash, augmented by $305 raised for Haiti 1 by 1, bringing the kids’ efforts – so far – to $864.

“I am so proud of these kids,” wrote Sullivan. “Their hearts and pure and (they) genuinely want to help those less fortunate, and pay tribute to our military!”