Miley Cyrus won Video of the Year at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, but she didn’t accept the Moonman trophy herself. Instead, Cyrus sent a young man named Jesse to pick up the award and give a speech acknowledging the issue of youth homelessness in Los Angeles and America as a whole.

“I survived in shelters all over the city,” Jesse said. “I’ve cleaned hotel rooms been and been an extra in your movies and in your life.”

Jesse directed fans and viewers to Miley Cyrus’ Facebook page during the speech. There, Cyrus had her own note and video:

“Help me raise awareness and funds to end youth homelessness! This is just the beginning for me, but we’re going to get started now by focusing on My Friend’s Place, a homeless center for young people in Hollywood,” she wrote. More on the initiative can be found here.