Volunteers from the nonprofit Recovery Advocates for the Shore, along with family members who lost a loved one to addiction, planted flags in Manasquan in their honor Thursday.

There have already been 1,626 opioid-related deaths in New Jersey this year. Organizers say things have only gotten worse because of COVID.

"The pandemic has made recovery very hard for a lot of people. There have been a lot of deaths, young people, old, people ... There are no meetings that are available. People don't want to attend online because they need that person-to-person interaction," said Heather McGovern, a volunteer.

Recovery Advocates for the Shore provides treatment options and other resources for those struggling with addiction.