HOUSTON -- Former Presidents Bush and Clinton visited hundreds of Hurricane Katrina victims sheltered in Houston's Astrodome and a nearby center Monday, eliciting smiles, hugs and requests for autographs.

The two ex-presidents, who partnered on a fund-raising effort for victims of last year's Asian tsunami, announced the creation of the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund before spending more than four hours visiting with hundreds of the 23,600 hurricane refugees staying at the Astrodome complex.

"We're most anxious to roll up our sleeves and get to work," Bush said. "It will take all of us working together to accomplish our goal. This job is too big for any one group."

Corporations and other organizations across the country already have pledged donations to the fund, including Wal-Mart and the Walton Family Foundation, which has given $23 million. Other major sponsors include Microsoft, Dillard's Inc., Nike and The Trump Group.

"They are beginning to think about the rest of their lives now, so I think it is up to us to fill in the blanks," Clinton said after visiting with dozens of refugees who flocked to him and asked him to autograph their T-shirts and Bibles.

"So many of these people were poor before the storm and they lost everything," Clinton said. "So I think we have got to get some cash available in New Orleans and these other communities so that unforeseen needs can be met."

Clinton said he thinks the federal government's response to the tragedy should be examined. But for now, he said, the focus should be on helping the refugees restart their lives.

"There is still a lot of anger. There is still a lot of confusion, but I don't think we should be surprised," Clinton said. "These people lost everything and the experience they had in the Superdome or the convention center was horrible. They didn't have food. They didn't have water. They didn't have sanitation and it was a nightmare."

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said the initial response to the hurricane was unacceptable.

"If this is our response to these sorts of emergencies than we are not well prepared for what could be even more cataclysmic events with much less notice," he said. Bush said he doesn't like the criticism leveled at his son, President Bush, but, "As a president it goes with territory."

The elder Bush and his wife, Barbara, were the first to enter a shelter set up at Reliant Center with Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Perry and Barbara Bush immediately gravitated toward two children, while former president Bush shook hands with a group of men.

After a brief exchange with one girl, Barbara Bush grabbed her hand and took her to meet her husband. Barbara Bush affectionately placed her arm around the girl's back and the child smiled widely as she talked with the former president.

Clinton, who toured the shelter with his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Obama, picked up a little girl who brought him a small heart she made in a makeshift daycare center at the shelter.

"What's your name, sweetie? You look so pretty," Obama said to the girl. "You made this heart and you decided to give it to Bill Clinton, didn't you?"

The little girl, named Kearra, shook her head affirmatively.

"Well, I give you my heart," Clinton said, giving the tiny toddler a hug. "You're beautiful. Thank you for the heart."

Bush tickled and played with 3-year-old Terrill Hoskins while sitting on a cot with the boy and his mother as the little boy dissolved into laughter.

"I am glad that he came and showed that he cared," Denise Brown, 50, said of Bush after asking him if he could get her some hot chocolate. "We were treated so bad in the Superdome, it wasn't funny. I am so glad to be here to get some help and see that people do care."

Three of Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco's daughters visited the shelter Monday and also spoke briefly with Clinton.

Both former presidents indicated that with time the country would cope with the disaster.

"I feel pretty good about what I saw today, even with all of the anger and all of the terrible stories, there is a sense of hope," Clinton said. "The country is beginning to sort through this, figure it out and respond in an appropriate way."

"We have got a country that is in recovery," Bush said. "We have got a country that is optimistic in spite of all this."

Bush and Clinton raised $11 million in tsunami relief money which went to help victims in four countries affected by the Indian Ocean's deadly tidal wave.

The money was targeted to reconstruction projects in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The former presidents visited each of the countries during a joint tour of the region in February, about two months after the disaster that claimed more than 275,000 lives on Dec. 26, 2004.

They plan a similar tour at a later date of the hurricane ravaged areas.

Curfew In Place At Reliant Park

The Reliant Park complex, now being called Reliant City, is the largest evacuation area in the U.S. with nearly 25,000 residents.

Officials said Monday that the Astrodome has 17,500 evacuees, Reliant Center has 3,800, Reliant Arena houses 2,300 residents and the George R. Brown Convention Center holds 1,300 people.

Plans are underway to provide residents with typical neighborhood amenities such as a Welcome Center, Banking Center, Reliant Town Square Park, Reliant City Medical Center, a Transit Center with METRO and HISD school bus stops. The Reliant Town Square will include a playground, sports field and laundry facilities. The Salvation Army will construct several refreshment centers east of Dome City. Construction should be completed by Friday.

All residents of Reliant City are being given special color-coded wristbands to identify their area of residence. A curfew of 11 p.m. was also put in place.

According to the Harris County Department of Education, more than 4,000 school-aged children are expected to register on Wednesday and Thursday for classes starting next Monday.

On Friday, parents and children are invited to tour their new schools and meet their teachers and school staff. The Houston Independent School District will provide transportation for the school tours and daily travel for students to the 20 nearby schools in the district receiving Reliant City students.

More Information:

Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund