It’s the end of the week, and you could use a good laugh. How about a trip to the Tamaqua Community Arts Center?

A trio of stand-up comics will hit the stage at The Stitch at 8 p.m. Friday in a benefit for the arts center and Hope & Coffee.

Liz Russo will be joined by Raj Belani of Long Island, New York, and Paul Spratt, who was born in Boston and raised in Pennsylvania.

“I grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, because my dad was the head football coach of Lafayette College for 20 years,” Russo said. “I decided to stay in Easton after they retired and moved south and didn’t give me their forwarding address. I still live in Easton, PA, and recently organized LafFest, Easton, by request of the mayor, Sal Panto. Although I perform and travel extensively around the country, there is no place like home. I love my city.”

Russo has previously appeared on FOX, CBS and Amazon Prime’s “Comics Watching Comics.” She has worked with Dave Chappelle, Tim Meadows, Gilbert Gottfried, Colin Quinn and many other stars of the industry.

“Opening for Jim Norton at the Foxwoods 4,000-seat theater was pretty awesome, and performing at the new Howie Mandel Comedy Club at the Hard Rock Atlantic City 7,000-seat theater was also great,” Russo said. “But some of the best shows are the unexpected ones — like I’ve had multiple performances at nudist resorts — great audiences! I didn’t know naked people laughed so much!”

Russo has battled addiction and overcome much adversity in her life.

She had multiple DUI convictions and spent a year in Northampton County Prison. But she received treatment that saved her life, and she’s been sober since 2011. Russo earned her Certified Recovery Specialist accreditation from the Pennsylvania Certification Board and works part time as the social services coordinator of Trinity Soup Kitchen in Bethlehem. Now, people who come to hear Russo perform approach her after the show to speak about their personal battles.

“I share my life with such openness and vulnerability, while also finding the humor in adversity, I think it has an effect,” Russo said. “I got into comedy because I had something to say. Now I just have a lot more to speak on. Even if it is not addiction, we all experience some kind of life adversity — going through some pretty tough times at some point in our lives. However, I think we as humans, and as a community, have tremendous capacity for resilience. My comedy was a path to truly owning my story, but further, by ‘giving it away,’ I use your own journey as a means to help others on theirs.”

Hope & Coffee, a nonprofit founded by Lisa Scheller located next to the arts center in Tamaqua, is described on its website as “a place where we can remember those we’ve loved and cared about who were lost to their addictions. And … a place where we can celebrate the recovery of those who embrace it.” The coffee shop has been wildly successful during its 13 months of operation and has made an enormous impact on many lives in the community.

Micah Gursky, Executive Director of Hope & Coffee, noted that the show on Friday is a BYOB event and alcohol is not prohibited.

“Anyone who is in recovery and can be at a mixed event is encouraged to attend. We ask that people use their own discretion. Also, the comedy is not limited to a recovery audience,” he said.

Russo hopes to make a difference in someone’s life after every performance, and she looks to do it again in Tamaqua this weekend.

“I never thought I would be a stand-up comedienne,” she said. “I always loved performing, and anyone who knows me, knows I am a ham. I love acting and singing, but I was convinced it wasn’t realistic as a career. So, I went to American University for politics and law, got my B.A. and didn’t want to continue on to law school. The only thing I really knew as a kid is that I love being on stage, I love making people happy, and I want to make the world a better place. Comedy, especially after some of my own difficulties in life, just clicked. It fits.”

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at tamaquaarts.org under the events tab.